Sister, Sister
by Illusionary Ghost
Summary: A stranger appears and offers a hand to the Inuyasha-tachi, but she's more than what she seems. Can Inuyasha and his friends pierce through her veil of cold, aloofness before Naraku's next move?
1. Prologue

An InuYasha Fanfic,  
by Yashira

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Prologue 

Her footsteps were wild, erratic, like the rush of leaves in a violent storm. Through brush and foliage, and cracking branch underfoot, the woman ran desperately on. Stumbling and falling in her mad attempt to escape the men chasing her, she torn another part of her white dress, reducing it even further from the rags and strips it had become. 

Her breath was hard and difficult as air rasped torturously through her lungs. _I can't stop,_ she silently screamed as the crude jeers, wild taunts, and cries echoed behind sharply. To stop and breathe would mean a fate worse than death. 

If only she hadn't stopped by that village; if only she had kept going. This time of the month was always dangerous to her.

__

I have to get out of here.

Abruptly, her foot connected with a twisted root of a gnarled tree and she found herself being flung painfully to the ground. _Have to get up and keep going-_ But even before she tried to stand she knew it was too late. They were around her, their filthy hands reaching for her hair and throat, pulling her up so roughly that a painful whimper escaped her dry cracked lips. She wanted to howl, to scream bloody murder to the moon, but her throat was so torn and raw that nothing escaped her.

They would destroy her body and then kill her. She would die… _she would die. _

Then the unthinkable happened. The man gripping her painfully had his head suddenly and violently separated from his body. The woman watched the spurting blood wing its way in the air before hitting the tree with a sickening crunch. It was needless to announce that this brought on wild screams and chaos as every man suddenly made an attempt to flee with his wretch life. She watched, shocked and numbed, every one of their disgusting number get decapitated in the same brutal slashing way. 

Her white dress was now stained in red ochre as was her pale trembling figure. She stared uncomprehensively in the darkness as silence fell like a thick blanket over the night. She was alone again. "Who's there," she cried out, knowing that whoever had done the killings, had not gone. He or she was listening... waiting. 

A presence, something appearing behind her like mist in a valley, spoke softly… kindly. "Don't be afraid, I will not hurt you." 

She cried out in alarm, jumping back frighten, but not running. She'd twisted her ankle badly and knew if this stranger meant harm there would be no chance of escape. "Who are you?" 

He smiled, a rather clever and secretively smile. "I'm simply a man who saved your life." 

She stared at him. A flat level stare that said, no there is something else that you are.

"Come I'll take you back to the safety of my castle."

She didn't move. "You're not… _completely…_ human."

"Neither are you." 

She froze, stunned at his implication, before asking flatly. "Who are you? What is your name?" 

"You may call me Naraku." 

__

End of Prologue


	2. Chapter 1

Sister, Sister

Chapter 1

In a vast clearing of vibrant green grass and semi overcast sky of blue and grey, one voice echoed forth, resonant and clear: 

"That's it! I'm going HOME!" Kagome, the owner of the voice, was striding angrily towards an old well, intent on reaching it before anyone could stop her.

"Go home, see if I care," Inuyasha screeched back angrily as he jumped after her. "I won't come get you either!" 

Although he looked and sounded angry, there was a small touch of anguish hidden in the edge of his words. He didn't want her to go, he never wanted her to leave his side, but at the same time he'd be damned if he'd let her embarrassed by making him beg. Therefore… "You stay there all you want!" 

Kagome, a petite young girl of 15 with long black hair and bright brown eyes, stared back at him coolly. "At least I'll be able to get some studying done. I've failed almost all my math tests because of you." She stood just before the well, her brown gaze eagerly seeking the depths within, as she added. "Good bye."

"Go then, I won't-" He stopped in mid sentence, his amber-cat like eyes glancing behind him as a strange sense touched his nose. The wind blew absently through his long white hair and fire-mouse clothing, ruffling it like an old friend, but nothing surfaced. Nothing surfaced and yet… there was a strange scent that tickled the wind and stained the air like moth balls suddenly taken out of storage and quickly stuff back again. Something was wrong. 

"Inuyasha?" Kagome had not gone yet. The abruptness in which he cut off his words had cut her departure as if he'd physically grabbed her. 

"Something's wrong. It's…" He paled, something that was usually hard to see in a face already framed by snow-white hair and said, his words visibly tensed in shock disbelief. "Blood… There's blood in the air…" The change in scent from unknown to the heady rust-like stain of blood was unmistakable. "The village…" 

"What? But Sango and Miroku are there, not to mention Shippo, Kaede and the villagers. Inuyasha we have to do something-" The alarm in her voice reflected clearly in her brown eyes as she stumbled in the direction of the village. 

"I thought you were leaving?" He countered dryly as she gave him a look that said, 'the village's in trouble, and you have the nerve to pick out the niceties?'

"I'll go without you then…" She started to run, but his hand, predictable as always, grabbed her by the back of her green and white school uniform, as he threw her unceremoniously against his back.

"Idiot. If I let you _walk_, you'll never get there in time…" 

Kagome glared at him, knowing that by walk he meant the "human" run equivalent, but she kept silent. If he smelled blood in the air, then their friends were in danger and this was no time to argue if that was the indeed the case.

"Sango, where's Shippo," Miroku screamed over the din of flame and collapsing wood as he fought his way towards the dark haired girl. Everything had been fine a moment ago: children playing without a care in the street, farmers and trades-people greeting each other as they passed, generally it had been a very pleasant and dull day. Then…

"Kirara's taken him and Kaede to safety. Myoga's with him," Sango breathlessly cried back, heaving her great boomerang over her shoulder, as she scanned the orange flames and black smoke clouds for any signs of the youkai responsible for the attack. 

"In other words, they're safe. That's good." He scanned through the thickening smoke, searching for any signs of survivors praying that they'd all escaped with Kaede, as he lifted his staff. "If Naraku's behind this, I'm going to kill him." 

Sango laughed, a tight chuckle that made Miroku turn his purple-eyed gaze towards her questioningly. "There's a long line, Miroku, you'll have to wait behind Inuyasha, me, Kikyo… understand?" 

"Not if I get to him first… " Miroku rubbed the protective glove and beads over his right hand in a semi-unconscious manner. It was obvious to Sango that the houshi would not think twice to use his kaza ana on Naraku if he could avoid those bees from hell. Then again, if he could avenge his father, and his father before him, perhaps Miroku would give up his life if he could kill Naraku… That thought send a cold shiver racing through her body and Sango felt as if she'd been suddenly plunged into ice water. Venomously she shook the unwanted thought away. No matter how much she and the houshi disagreed with each other, she never wanted to think of him as dead. What would she do if he- "Sango," Miroku interrupted, his gaze staring straight ahead. "There's something there."

"What? Where?" Staring ahead, she could see nothing, except the burning buildings and bellowing smoke. 

"I can't see it, but I know it's there. Right at…" Just as he was about to point the whole area exploded in a brilliant array of dirt, smoke and debree. Sango was thrown violently, like some overused cat'o'nine tails, against the crumbled remains of an old house's railing as Miroku was sent spiraling in the opposite direction. "Sango," the name was barely a whisper on his bleeding lips, as the youkai that had surprised them began to materialized. 

She looked like Kagura, what with the red eye-shadow and lipstick, but her hair was the colour of dying sunlight and her sharp-edge features were chiseled out of something colder than anything the air mistress, herself, could muster. 

She wore scanty loose fitting clothing, revealing a bit too much cleavage and thigh than was normally acceptable, even for Miroku's tastes, and her stance, like some arrogant feudal lord, was full of self importance and insolence. With a cat like grace she strode towards the priest, her slitted eyes taken him in like some new toy to play with then break, as he struggled to stand. "You should be dead, like that girl," even the voice was cold and flat and Miroku, glancing suddenly at Sango, felt a heavy rage set into him. 

"If she _is_ dead, I… I'll never forgive you!" He made to reach for his kaza ana, but the woman's reach was quicker than his. By the scruff of his throat she held him dangling in the air, obviously enjoying the discomfort produced by the squirming Houshi. She had the self-absorbed look of intending to strangled him slowly… painfully. 

"Ahh, so much life…" She purred, her tongue licking her lips in an anticipating manner. "When you die, I'll have so much to drink from you…" 

"Not if I can help it," Sango, who had risen abruptly, sent her boomerang spinning wildly at the youkai woman. "You touch him and I'll kill you!" 

With an inhuman reflex she threw Miroku towards Sango and leapt out of the way a moment before the boomerang hit. Miroku slammed unmercifully into Sango, the two of them tumbling backwards in a crumpled heat, as the female youkai laughed. Her laugh echoed harshly as she threw her catlike gaze towards the two, "Fools. Perhaps I'll just kill you now! Eh!" A sense, a vibe of discord struck her, and she turned her head just as the newcomer approached. 

"Touch them and die," Inuyasha's voice was deadly, his own slit eyes glaring so hard at the female youkai that she blinked in disbelief. "You want a fight, you got one with me… Oi Kagome, take care of Miroku and Sango." 

Kagome nodded as he dropped her gently to her feet and she sped immediately towards her friends. Turning back to the youkai, Inuyasha voice was filled with hatred. "For what you've done to this village and my friends…" His eyes narrowed and focused on her fixedly. "I'll kill you!" He leapt after the youkai, his moves full of bursting energy and furious anger, as she leapt easily away from. 

She laughed. "Oh my, another would be fighter? You'll find I'm not so easy to kill. In fact, you're going to be begging me to put an end to you once I'm done." 

"What?"

"Should never have challenged me dog-boy, ha! Feel the wrath of Necoa!" Sharp pointy claws slid forth from her extended fingers as burning flame shot out from her snarled mouth. 

"GAAA!" The fumes of the flames were beyond being poisonous and nauseous; they were downright abhorrent and obscene. He was on his knees in a matter of seconds, his hand reaching protectively for his nose and mouth in an effort to block out the smell. The only other time he'd smelled something this bad was during the time of that mad artist who drew using ink, the blood of the dead, and one of the shikon no tama's shards. Unfortunately this was ten time worst. He glared at Necoa, but his vision was started to dim, the smell was affecting him already! He would pass out before he'd even be given the chance to do some damage. 

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed as she watched him surcome to the smell and fall to his knees. Necoa was grinning impishly, her claws shining brightly in the light, as she slowly stepped towards Inuyasha.

"I'll take care of this," Miroku half-murmured from his semi-sitting and semi-kneeling position as he pulled open the seal, the white beads over his right hand, to release the kaza ana. "Stand back." 

"Do it and you'll die," Necoa screamed, her claws full extended, as a horrid buzzing filled the clearing. "You see I come prepared for you, Houshi! I'm no fool!" Miroku stared in horror as the heavy drone of the Hell wasps filled the air; he went completely pale. "I'll kill you all-AAH!"

Kagome's arrow hit sharply in Necoa's left shoulder, the blue-black blood squirming out like maggots, she belatedly clutched her arm. "You bitch," she screeched as the pain of the purifying arrow burned her unholy body unrelentingly. She pulled out the arrow, as her eyes, now blood shot, fixated on Kagome. "You will have no mercy from me!" 

"Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice was barely a whisper as he watched, horror stricken through cloudy eyes as Necoa sped directly towards her. 

"NECOA!" A new voice screamed, her voice so full of energy and power, that the youkai's head spun around immediately. 

She didn't stop her cat-like approach towards Kagome, her hate and pain pushing her onward, but she couldn't look away from the newcomer either. "You-" 

A young woman, with long black hair tied in bun and wearing a miko garb of white and black, stood standing tall and firm from whence she called. "Stop this," the words were cold and flat, like the blue-blackness of her eyes, but there was no mistaking the intention that she would fight this youkai with more than words then need be. 

Necoa laughed, her coldness chilling the air around her, as she extended claws towards the object of her designation. "Make me!"

A chuckle, a smirk and the woman raised a pale hand forward. "Heaven blast Ascension!" A white light issued forth from her outstretched hand and chased after the youkai's startled form so quickly that Necoa was knocked rudely backwards. She came with a crash into the charred remains of a hut and was on her back for a good couple of minutes. "Never underestimate me, cat demon, imp, oni, or whatever you call yourself." 

She strode forward, her dark eye glance taking in the destruction, the poisonous smell of Necoa's flame, the black smoke, and last, but not least, the four people who the youkai's been 'playing' with, with never a blink. "So you think you can just harm anything you want? Do you think just because you joined up with Naraku that you're protected. Necoa… you're life is forfeit!" Swinging out her hands together she summoned up a ball of brilliant energy. "Heaven seal banishment!" 

Necoa was up on her feet, barely dodging the blinding light, as she desperately ran forward. "Another time, Yashira!" Necoa screamed hatefully. "I will have more power to defeat you! Another time!" With an agility due only to the youkai's superior cat-like sped, Necoa bounded away quickly before the newcomer, Yashira, could summon another heaven blast. 

"Damn you, Necoa," Yashira cursed gripping her hands so tightly that her nails bit sharply into her palms. "I'll catch you and send you back to the netherworld, mark my words, I will do this." 

Suddenly, as the stench of smoke and fumes passed and the flames began to die down, Yashira turned to face Kagome abruptly. "Miko, are you okay?" 

"Huh, you mean me?" Kagome was not used to being directly addressed as a miko, so it took her a moment to registered that the question was directed at her. "I'm fine…" 

"Good," glancing down to where Miroku was just now getting to his feet, she added, "And you Houshi?" 

"Just a few bruises," he replied, his gaze scanning just more than her smooth oval face with serious and solemn features, but her entire body as well. "Allow me to thank you wholeheartedly from the bottom of-" 

"Damn bitch, where did she go," Inuyasha, cursing and rising to his feet, could find no sign of Necoa. "When I catch her-" He stopped immediately, Kagome's well-being coming instantly to his thoughts, as he jumped to where she stood. "Kagome are you-? Who's this woman?" 

"Forgive this rude half-youkai," Miroku began, almost as if on cue, "but he has no manners. This woman saved our lives, Inuyasha, you can thank her to show your appreciation." 

Yashira and Inuyasha locked eyes and their egos, visible clashes of electricity, fought suddenly for supremacy. "A half-youkai, huh? I'll give you warning now, if I ever catch you behaving like Necoa, I'll seal you up with my heaven blast. Understand?" 

"Just you try it, you'll never get passed Tetsusaiga's attack," Inuyasha was scowling darkly, his stance aggressive, and his posture just as threatening. Yashira glared back at him as if the mere thought of a youkai, half, or whatever, could not defeat a mere human like herself. Their stare was like runaway fire feed on pure gasoline. 

"Hey, isn't that a bit much," Kagome began as Sango, starting to stir, rubbed her eyes tiredly. Miroku was quick to help her up. "You don't know him to make that kind of comment." 

Yashira glanced at her carefully, her blue-black eyes making Kagome feel strange as if she was staring more at a mask than a real face. "I make that comment to every youkai I meet, regardless of how much I know them. This way, at least, they can't claim they weren't warned." She and Inuyasha shared another cold, narrow eyed, glare before Yashira shook her head dismissively and turned away. "Good bye, then. I'd best be moving on; perhaps I'll see you around." She gave Inuyasha a quick look that said, she'd be seeing him a lot sooner, if he did indeed make trouble like Necoa; Inuyasha responded with clenched fists and throbbing vein in his forehead. 

"Wait, don't go yet," Kagome cried out, her voice so sharp in the air, that it cut holes in it. "You mentioned something about Naraku to that youkai. What do you know of him and that Necoa?" 

Yashira did not turn to face her as she replied simply, "That's my business, not yours. Good bye." She continued walking, immune to any further questions thrown to her by Kagome.

So Ends Chapter 1.


	3. Chapter 2

(October, 30, 2000.)

Sister, Sister

Chapter 2

The filthy, charred remains, which once represented the village scented the air around them like day old musk freshly torn from a deer. Smoke still drifted in wafts from several on going fires and their fierce orange eyes showed no signs of being put out any time soon. The entire region looked battle born and weary. It no longer represented a place where children had once run and laughed; where villagers had talked and gossiped freely; or where people had once called it home. It reeked of death and decay and the heediness of that smell would take an extremely long time to purge... if at all.

"This village will be hard pressed this fall," Sango noted sadly, her eyes looking around the place with a pang of remorse. "If only…" 

"Sango, don't blame yourself…" Miroku's deep voice was full of weariness, but there was a soft tone that warned her that she was not alone in this mess. "The village will be hard press, a lot of food stores have been lost, but Kaede's been taking care of this village for a long time… she's a very resourceful woman. She'll find a way." He made a significant glance towards a spot, several feet away, where a group of villagers had surrounded Kaede in discussion about rebuilding the village before adding, "Let her worry about the village. Our concerns lie with this new youkai… this village isn't safe, if that demon returns…"

Sango swallowed deeply, her tone stunned at the truthfulness of his words, "Miroku… you're right." 

Kagome, who'd been bandaging up Sango's arm, lifted her head up in alarm. "You think this Necoa, will return soon, then?" With fingers turning numb, the bandage roll slid out of her fingers and rolled, red carpet-like, a meandering path away from her. 

"Feh," InuYasha stated dismissively as he dropped down beside the two girls and scooped up the bandage. "If she's working for Naraku she'll be back." The venom in his tone dripped slowly like honey from a bee's nest as he threw the bandage back to Kagome angrily. "And when she comes… I'll tear her in half." 

"And what will you do if she uses her special fire attack?" Miroku asked, his voice sliding between InuYasha's words like a sharp sword, "Well?" 

InuYasha, not liking to be reminded about the overpowering stink of Necoa's fire, glared at Miroku as if he'd tried to use his Kaza Ana on him instead. "Look I-" 

"Kagome!!!" Shippo's relieved voice and happy cries instantly reverted through the mess around them as he half ran, half skipped towards Kagome's arms. Kirara who ran behind him leapt into Sango's outstretched fingers eagerly. "You're alright!"

"Shippo, are you okay?" Kagome asked worriedly as she noted the singed fur and burnt marks along the kitsune's flesh, hair, and clothing. "You look-" 

"I'm fine now…"

"I protected them," Myoga's chest, while siting on Kirara's head, heaved proudly as he stated those words boldly. Everyone, including InuYasha, wore that look of "Oh really, how?"

"Thank you for your help," Kaede, weak voice worn thin with weariness and smoke, took a moment to interrupted them before InuYasha could preceded to "question" the hell out of Myoga with his fist.

"Feh, what did we do, anyway?" InuYasha sulked, his dark glare falling on Myoga and the horizon where Necoa had disappeared to. 

Miroku nodded in agreement. "That's right, and I'm sorry Kaede, but we were all going to get killed. If it wasn't due to a wandering Miko, called Yashira… Necoa would have even killed all the villagers by now… including us." 

"What did you say?" There was a sudden chilliness to Kaede's voice that tasted of frost on an old grave. 

"I said-"

"No, the name, you gave?"

Miroku gave Kaede a quizzical look. "Her name was Yashira. Is there something wrong?"

The wind blew, cold and biting tasting nothing from the warmth of the recent blaze, as it ruffled their hair and clothing. "The maiden who walks the lone path—"

Looks of shock and surprise. Kagome was the first to speak. "You know about her? Lone path?"

"The lone maiden… I thought she died long ago…" Kaede looked incredibly sad that moment. "I remember her with Kikyo, good friends… after my older-sister died… she wandered the lands sorrowful, alone, and inconsolable… she disappeared after a time… she never made any friends after that…" 

"Yashira must be very lonely then," Kagome murmured softly as InuYasha let out another scowl. 

"They're not the same! This woman was young, maybe a year or so older than Kagome… If this Yashira you knew, this "maiden who walks the lone path" was friends with Kikyo, that was more than 50 years ago." 

"I hate to agree with Inuyasha," Miroku replied with a heavy sigh, "but this girl is beautiful. The hand of time has not touched her face or… her body…" For that deliberate pause, Sango smacked Miroku flatly across the head. She knew when he was thinking to ask a woman to bear his child.

"I didn't really get a look at her," Sango replied, "but maybe the Yashira you and Kikyo knew had a child… It is not uncommon to name a child after yourself… or name a grandchild either… Kaede?" 

Kaede made a uneasy nod which was both reluctant and hesitant. "Perhaps, but I knew Yashira too… I knew her too…" 

v v v

"Are you ready?" Naraku asked, his voice serious and full of warning. "You will be ready, to take action?" 

"Yes."

"Good, then everything will proceed as is… You are ready to go to the village?" Naraku's eyes watched the bowed form of the woman and couldn't resist a quirk of the lips as he waited for her answer.

"Yes."

"Then do not fail me again."

End of Chapter 2


	4. Chapter 3

Dec, 27, 2000.

Sister, Sister

By Yashira

Chapter 3

"Kagome," Sango began carefully, choosing her words with deliberate care as a gentle breeze blew her raven locks against pale cheeks. "How bad do you think this situation with Necoa is?"

Kagome turned startled eyes at Sango, her brown eyes reflecting the concern that she had failed to hide there. "You're worried about Miroku, huh?"

Sango flushed deeply, trying to deny the accusation with a wave of her hand. "No I'm not—It's just that that female youkai had those Hell Bees to command and that stinking fire attack too. If both Inuyasha and Miroku are incapable of fighting- that means only you and me are left to protect the village and their sorry butts….."

Kagome, from her perch on the hill, glanced down at the bustling villagers with sad eyes. They were, even now, repairing the damage done to their homes and livelihood even though the threat of the youkai's return hung heavy in the air. She gave a troubled sigh and that brought a surprised look from Sango. "Kagome?"

"I don't know what to say, Sango… I really don't."

VVV

Miroku gripped his staff tightly as he stopped quietly beneath the tree Inuyasha sat lost in his own mind-consuming thoughts. He didn't even call out a "hello" to the houshi that stood underneath, but just sat staring at nothing.

"Inuyasha-" Miroku began almost too quiet for even himself to hear.

"…"

"Inuyasha, we have to talk…"

"….Miroku…" Dropping down beside him in one quick leap, Inuyasha made no attempts to deny the sullenest and concern in his face. "I know.. I know… how do we protect them when we can't even protect ourselves…."

"…." Miroku didn't look at him, but instead glanced up at the warm sunlight whose heat did not warm his chilled flesh; he shrugged. "This Necoa must have a weakness…"

"Where is it then?" Inuyasha demanded angrily, "What is it?"

Miroku was silent… "Yashira…"

"Feh, what do we need that bitch for?"

"As far as we can tell," Miroku pointed out dryly, "she was the only other person who was able to deal with that cat youkai. Can you think of anyone else who could do that much?"

Inuyasha scowled at him, not looking at all happy as he glared at the country side. "…"

***

"Now young Shippo," Myoga interrupted with head raised proudly as a tone of self importance echoed richly from him on his spot on Kirara's head. "Getting water for the villagers is a very honourable thing."

Shippo, scowling and glaring, was eyeing the youkai flea darkly. "Then why don't you help me-"

"I?" Myoga's tone was meant to address the fact that he was a mere flea and as such was totally unsuitable in this laborious task. Running away was another story.

"That's what I thought. You only came with me cuz you thought it was safe-"

"Hey I'm offended that you would-" But the kitsune wasn't listening, instead he was scooping his 2 pails of water from the spring as he did his utmost to tune out Myoga.

Grumbling sharply as he scooped up some water, Shippo abruptly stopped as his sense of smell caught something on the wind. It caused his already small heart to twitch violently. _This smell…_ Jerking his head up he was shocked to see Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's older brother, staring down at him as if he were a dirt rag. "What.. what are you doing here?"

"You dare tell me where I can and can not go," Sesshomaru glared down at him, his whole aloof attitude making Shippo's stomach queasy. "Jaken… deal with this peon."

His servant, a ugly toad-like youkai, came forward brandishing a staff threateningly as he turned ugly frog eyes on Shippo. "As you wish my lord." 

Myoga was the first to go. He disappeared so quickly, urging Kirara to fly like the wind, that Shippo was left alone in two seconds flat. Forgetting the buckets, the kitsune nervously backed away. Sesshomaru had never come so close to this particular village before so whatever he had in mind, couldn't be good... especially not with the recent attacks sent by Naraku's youkai. "Uh.. uh…" With the staff in hand, Jaken summoned forth the fire of destruction and Shippo stared at the approaching flame in the same way a deer stared at an approaching car. "Eep! I'm going to die…"

"Heaven ascension blast!"

Blinding blue-white light hit the fire head on, bursting and sizzling in such a way that a fog spread out before them bouncing against the ground like little plastic balls. The dazzling purifying light hit the staff dead on, knocking it from Jaken's smarting fingers and throwing it far from him. Yashira stalked forward, the look in her blue eyes full of hatred, her body full of arrogant confidence, as her black braided hair whipped out behind her. She strode right towards them as if she hadn't a care in the world. "So it is a good thing that I did not leave this area just yet…" Her words were filled with disgust and laced with venom.

Sesshomaru stared at Yashira, his amber eyes seeing the woman that had approached, with startled eyes. "You…" He stopped in mid-speech as she spat out disgustedly;

"More Youkai, huh? I'll teach you to pick on an innocent child." 

"No one interrupts Master Sesshomaru, woman," Jaken was indignant and ready for her, but he wasn't ready for the sudden jerk on his collar by Sesshomaru who called back to her;

"Another time, woman." His voice still echoed as he moved away in uncharacteristic departure. He usually never ran, just walked. Within seconds, they were gone.

"Hey are you alright?" Yashira asked with concern as she dropped down beside Shippo. Her eyes widen in surprise as she realized belatedly that he wasn't just a child, but a kitsune… "You're a youkai."

Shippo saw the alarm in her face and the way her fingers suddenly clutched tightly at the bow she still carried. It was as if she were suddenly regretful in saving his life and was about to turn around and claim his. He cringed.

"Shippo!!!" Inuyasha's scream was full of alarm as he came running with Kagome, Sango and Miroku behind him. Myoga, on Kirara's head was leading the chase.

The first thing Inuyasha saw was Yashira kneeling in front of a cringing Shippo as she gripped her bow tightly. Instantly he jumped to the wrong conclusion. "You bitch. How dare you attack Shippo!" Jumping immediately for her throat, Yashira glanced up at him in surprise.

End of Chapter 3.


	5. Chapter 4

(January 21, 2001.)

(author's note: The date is correct, I wrote this way way ago, but finally got around to editting this chapter in order to put up. Bad Yashira, I need to learn to post them when I write them.)

Sister, Sister

By Yashira

****

Chapter 4

Instinctively Yashira rolled to the side, sliding barely out of the way, as Inuyasha's extracted claws came down for her. She, with Shippo held protectively in her grasp, whirled around with a hard look in her blue eyes as death eluded them by mere inches. "I should have known," her voice was sour, dripping with disgust, as she roughly threw the little kitsune from her. Spinning wildly out of control, Shippo rolled helplessly into the nearby roots of a tree. He hit his head with a vicious knock against a particular nasty looking root and laid sprawled with spinning stars over his head. "Stay put little youkai." If she had meant her words to be a warning they came out sounding more like a venomous snakebite than anything else. Leaping forward, her midnight hair spilling free of her braid as she jumped, she hissed fiercely, "Heaven Ascension blast!" 

Inuyasha felt the hairs on the back of his stand on end as Yashira's blue-white attack came bearing down on him, "Kuso," he cursed whirling away just inches from the blasts as several strands of his hair started to burn. "You bitch!" He tore through the air, his claws searching for her blood. "Stay put you-"

"I would say the same of you, YOUKAI!" Snarling and spinning away from him, her moves quite agile for a human, Yashira ducked away at the last minute. Whirling around behind him, her eyes deadly serious, her face drawn and pale, she lifted her hands for another heaven blast. 

Inuyasha twisted about, his body moving so quick that he was almost a blur, "Damn bitch, she's moving too fast." He scowled angrily bringing Tetsusaiga free with a vicious jerk. The blade rang free in the air, the metal screeching forward as if anticipating the taste of blood, as Inuyasha faced Yashira. 

Her powerful attack came quickly again, bearing down on him with a brilliance that could easily equals Kikyo's purifying arrow attack. It hit his sword with a tremendous jolt that sent vibrations chiming away loudly in the ether around them. Then, almost as if it was a slow dance of fire and ice, the blade broke free of his grasp and flew behind him as if discarded. "SHIT," He cursed, but didn't stop moving. To stop would mean getting hit with that Heaven blast, and he wasn't about to let that happen. Inuyasha skidded forward, hands swordless, as he wordlessly drove his fist forward. 

Yashira's blue eyes went wide, her breath rushing away from her chest, as he appeared beside her with his fist hitting her hard into her stomach. She was sent cartwheeling backwards, over the unforgiving ground, in vicious rolls. Her breath came to her in ragged gulps, her chest pounding so hard that she thought her head would explode from all the heavy drum beats. Staring at Inuyasha as he came towards her, his claws gleaming and extended, she was suddenly faced with the fact that she had lost and would… would...

There was a sudden flash of a heartbeat quickening as the world around her seemed to go dark. Her black hair blew ominously across her face, veiling her eyes with their long strands. It was coming… She would not let him kill her… she would stop him at all costs. Her heart thudded hard in her ears and…

"OSUWARI!!!" Kagome's voice, shrill and high pitch, as she arrived on the scene was staring in the shock at seeing Inuyasha about to lay his claws into the woman in front of him. … the very miko who had helped them earlier that day with Necoa!

Falling down in a harsh thud with the matching curses to follow, Inuyasha's face met the earth in a not so friendly pose. "Kagome, you damn bitch! How dare you interfere. Huh? What the fuck are you trying to help her for?"

Kagome dropped to her knees in front of Yashira and reached out a hand to touch her shoulder, "I'm soooo sorry, he gets like that when-"

Yashira jerked her shoulder from Kagome, the move more instinctive and reflective than one of disgust. "I'm fine," she said flatly her curt and bitter tone, much like Inuyasha's, seemed to hide a swollen pride. Getting roughly to her feet she spared the half dog youkai a fleeting glance. A cold shiver shook her fragile nerves and hungrily seemed to steal the strength from her limbs as she felt herself fall back down.

A pair of strong warm hands gripped hold of her without warning and Yashira whipped her head up to see the houshi she'd met before. "Let me help you up… it's obvious you've been through much with," and Miroku fixed Inuyasha with a cold look, "him."

Inuyasha's gold eyes glared with incredible disbelief as he watched his friends fawn over the woman that had attacked Shippo. "That damn bitch had Shippo. Don't believe me… ask the damp runt."

Shippo tottered forward, his hand grabbing his temple, as he sputtered, "She saved me from Sesshomaru, but she was almost as scary as he was!! I'm so glad you're here Kagome!!!" Shippo took the last few steps in leaps and bounds to get into the safety of her arms. "I was soooo scared!!"

"Sesshomaru? Here?" Kagome seemed completely surprised, "Why would he come this way?"

Inuyasha sniffed the air and sure enough the taint of his older brother wafted into his nostrils. He spat out angrily, "My older half-brother was here…"

***

Kaede was standing outside of a hastily erected shelter when the group of them returned. Inuyasha was sulking behind Kagome and Shippo as Miroku staggered forward with Yashira at his side. "All is safe…" Kaede stopped in mid speech, her gaze falling sharply on… "Ya..shi..ra?"

Yashira, leaning against Miroku who wasn't in the least bit unhappy about having a pretty girl on his arm, glanced at Kaede quizzically. The look on the houshi's face was reflected on Yashira's face, but she said nothing as he led her inside the hut.

End of Chapter 4.


	6. Chapter 5

January 26, 2002

Sister, Sister

By Yashira

Chapter 5

Kaede followed after them, moving slowly and carefully, as she entered the hastily built hut. Her eyes glanced casually to where Miroku had sat Yashira down on one of the few unscathed reed carpets which had miraculously outlasted the fire. The dark haired monk was currently rummaging through one of Kagome's first aid kits as he searched for something in which to use on the trembling woman, but Yashira, aside from being an unnatural shade of pale, looked otherwise uninjured. ~She reminds me so much of..~

"Are you okay Miko-sama?" Miroku spoke softly, his voice sounding noble, even impressively courtly as he knelt beside her. He tended to do that when he wanted someone to find favor with him. "You're still shaking." 

Yashira glanced at him, her blue eyes watchful and calculatingly calm, as she nodded absently. It was as if she were more occupied with her surroundings, rough cut wood that needed to be smoothed and refined, than with any words he could muster. She shifted uncomfortably as a blast of cold air, coming from one of the cracks in the wall, blew along her legs. "It's just nerves... I can tend to myself." Already dismissive she searched the hut for possible exits.

"But you need-"

Sango's fist landed without warning on Miroku's head; her movements had been so quick that he had had no time to duck. Dark eyes glared behind him in accusation. "Not only do you leave me behind when Sesshomaru shows up, but you try to get a free feel too."

"Sango, you were at the other end of the village, and also I'm insulted," he replied in the most injured tone imaginable, "I would have tried to for a light touch first."

A temple vein appeared on Sango's forehead as Kagome ducked in through the open doorway with Shippo held protectively in her grasp. Inuyasha followed behind her, a sour grimace colouring his hard gaze, as he glanced over to where the dark haired Miko sat. "Feh," he replied, his tone full of lingering disgust, as he immediately moved to the complete opposite side of her. 

"I take it, something's happened," Kaede began carefully, as she moved to the steaming pot she had left brewing over the fire.

Kagome nodded as she repeated the events that had led up to Myoga and Kirara running into the village for help. "Inuyasha was about to kill her."

"Ah," Kaede remarked calmly as she shifted the chunky contents around with her wooden spoon. Carrots and potatoes poked through the broth as she added softly, as if meaning her words only for the Miko in question. "So you are the one called Yashira."

Usually so contemptuous of those around her, Yashira's blue eyes flickered casually over Kaede's face noting the woman's old age with a grudging respect. "Yes, that's my name. Do I know you?" Her voice was still aloof, her arms crossing over her white shirt, as inadvertently looked into the fire. 

"I think.." Kaede began thoughtfully, watching Kagome take a seat with the exhausted Kitsune asleep in her arms, "that I may have known your mother… or grandmother…" She glanced up with her good eye, regarding Yashira again as if she could see her with both eyes. Yes, the girl was extremely attentive and wary, a trait that was exactly the same as the woman Kaede remembered. The coldness and abruptness in which she held her was still there, and yet there was something more. Kaede could not place exactly what it was, but if pressed she would have guessed anxiety.

"My mother?" Yashira's voice seemed surprised.

"If she is who I think she is… She was a friend of my sister. Her name was Yashira too. You resemble her so much that it's uncanny. You must be her descendent." 

"I must be." Yashira's reply sounded too soft, almost like a question itself, but her eyes were veiled, shielded. It was almost as if she were letting Kaede shape an answer for her. 

Kaede spooned some stew into a rounded bowl and immediately passed her one before she handed something similar to Kagome and then Sango. "Does this at all sound familiar?"

Yashira stared at the bowl in her lap with dark eyes as her fingers idly played with the silver chain around her neck. "I'm afraid this is…"

"Bah, why are you humoring her at all!" Inuyasha interrupted, anger etched hard into his voice, he leapt to his feet instantly. "Even if she's the daughter or descendant from the girl you knew, it doesn't mean she would know Kikyo at all. That was more than 50 years ago…"

"Inuyasha, be nice." Kagome hissed a soft warning, from her spot with Shippo, as she made concerned eyes at him to curb his tongue. At the same moment, Yashira's voice faltered.

"Kikyo?"

"Yes, yes," Kaede replied eagerly, not missing a single step as she realized that Yashira's pause was something to work with. "Kikyo. She was a friend of your mother's. Maybe she talked of her?"

Yashira's tone which had faltered a moment, seemed to steady as easily as calmed water once she understood the situation that was being placed in front of her… the questions that were being asked were about people and times happening 50 years ago. "I only know it by word of mouth.. if any…" And yet she seemed uncomfortable as if something touched her so badly that she was definitely avoiding it.

"Well at least we got that out of the way," Miroku replied with a smile as he took up his plate of food. "So you're a descendent of the friend of Kaede's older sister… It's good to see the beauty wasn't lost." His smile grew and received a pinch from Sango when he tried to use the age old "grab" your butt technique. 

"Kaede?" The look of surprise flashed again in her stunned face and Yashira carefully scruntinized Kaede over, "You did say Kikyo was your older sister?"

Kaede nodded, "So your mother or grandmother did speak of me… I must admit that I am surprised. I did not think her the type to wed."

Yashira glanced off to the side, "Yeah."

"Say Inuyasha, did you ever meet her?" Kagome's question was unexpected, it took the whole room, including Inuyasha, but surprise. 

"Huh? Who?"

"Yashira's mother most likely," since Yashira, herself, had not clarified it, no one knew exactly if it was mother or grandmother. "You knew Kikyo and Kaede," Kagome prompted, "Maybe you knew her too."

"Feh, I think I would remember an annoying woman like that." He dropped back down to his feet, his arms going around his legs as he sat.

Yashira lifted her eyes, dark blue orbs that narrowed coldly on him, "I think I would recall a big mouth hanyo. Especially an ill-bred mutt like yourself."

"What did you call me?!"

"Oh, she's good," Miroku commented back to Sango quietly, "She got him mad in what 2 seconds?" 

Sango nodded and whispered back, "So good that we may have some trouble. Look."

"Not only are you ill-bred, you're also incompetent if you can't hear me speaking from where you're sitting." Her words came easily, her tone haughty, as she ran her hand through her loose black hair.

"You take that back you bitch." He was once again on his feet, his fingers drawing Tetsusaiga from his blade in a harsh sigh.

Yashira, nonplussed and unmoved, only smirked. "Why, got too close to the truth."

"Why you…"

"Kagome," Kaede began quickly, "the word please."

"Osuwari."


	7. Chapter 6

February 9, 2002

Sister, Sister

By Yashira

Chapter 6

"You know, Inuyasha..." Miroku remarked thoughtfully as he ducked through the doorway and emerged into the bristling night-time air. "You could at least be nice while she's here… That way you won't have to come out here to escape the osuwari." Although it was not quite autumn yet, the passing of summer had clearly come and gone for Miroku shivered as the wind blew icy kisses against his heated skin. "It won't hurt you."

"Feh," Crossing his arms so that the folds of his haori creased in rugged strips, Inuyasha turned his angry face away. His gaze was unreadable.

"Unless this Necoa is taken care of..." Miroku began again, knowing he was pushing his luck by continuing to berate Inuyasha, "It would be a precaution we could well do to keep."

"Will you shut up already, I CAN handled her… We don't need this Yashira." His tone was full of stubbornness as the venom of annoyance radiated off him in waves.

Miroku let out a laboured sigh as he leaned against the rough wood of the hut. Glancing up at the smoke-torn sky, a mere gift left over from Necoa's fire and noxious smoke, he could barely see the twinkling of the stars beyond. "Inuyasha, even with Kagome's purifying arrows, your youkai's strength, Sango's Taiji-ya prowess and my Kaza Ana… we weren't able to defeat her." He paused, still staring up at the shadows that veiled the sky, as he added seriously, "If she weren't working with Naraku, I could take her with my Kaza Ana, but you remember the wasps, I couldn't fight without sucking some of those in…" He paused again, this time thinking back to the hell bees that had flown overhead, droning their awful chant, as if waiting for the sole moment of getting devoured by his air void. "It is Naraku's hand that guides these new events… It is Naraku who is our enemy and he is using our weaknesses against us."

"…" Inuyasha's ears drooped as Miroku spoke which meant that even though he was coping an attitude, he was indeed listening. He knew the truth in those words, but what could he say other than what was already said. He remained silent.

"And Necoa was familiar to Yashira and this firecat didn't have any defense to her… it was almost as if Naraku hadn't counted on this miko showing up to deal with Necoa. Hey are you listening, you do you understand what I'm saying?" Miroku turned to face Inuyasha who had risen to his feet and was turning to fix him with an equally thoughtful look.

"Balance…" Then he chuckled, his tone nearly amused as his gold eyes expressed self importance, "You really do think we're that badly off? Look, Miroku, we already have balance. We don't need anyone else."

"Inuyasha," he began calmly, fixing his violet eyes on the hanyou's gold ones, "Why must we handicap ourselves because of your wounded pride."

"Feh, wounded pride, eh? I just don't trust her…" His voice was low, deeply etched in arrogance, as he started towards the half built and cluttered remains of the village. "Am I the only one who thinks it was convenient for her to show up when she did. She mentioned Naraku's name you know."

Miroku shrugged, his shoulders sagging as he sighed. It looked as if Inuyasha was going to stubbornly fight this every step of the way. "I think we should ask Yashira what she knows about Necoa and Naraku."

"Kagome did ask, _remember_, and Miroku," Inuyasha turned back, moving swiftly to face him, "You were there, she said it was none of our business." 

"I don't really want to argue with you," Miroku replied tiredly as he rubbed at his neck. The spot Necoa had squeezed still bore tiny nail marks, "But you saw her strength.. her power… I could understand how she and Kikyo would be friends, they both know how to knock back some bad ass youkai…"

"What the fuck is that suppose to mean?" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed dangerously, "And just so you know, that Yashira is-"

"I'm what? Please, pray tell," Yashira's voice was as cold as her unemotionally flat and distant gaze. Gone was her brooding and silent musing when she had first been brought to the hut, in their place lurked the cold calculating look of a woman long since used to being obeyed, "Would you care to inform me, Hanyou?" She stepped out of the shadows and moved swiftly in front of the two men. Her fingers gripped a wooden bow and a set of quivers that she'd been carrying earlier, but had dropped in her "fight" with Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. She must have left earlier to go retrieve them.

Inuyasha whirled sharply to face her, his movements indicating that he had not been anticipating her approach. How could he not have smelled her coming? Was she as powerful as Miroku said and perhaps she shielded her smell too?! Impossible! He simply had not been paying attention, that was all. Such a careless thing to do… Inuyasha growled, his fists narrowing tightly at his sides, "You are a bitc-"

Miroku's staff came down hard on his head. "Inuyasha!" The thud echoed with a solid thwack. 

"What the hell did you do that for?"

  
"We know where she hails from…" Miroku began angrily, his patience seeming to have worn thin by this point, "Unless you think Kaede-sama was lying, do not antagonize Yashira-sama."

Inuyasha growled, the rumble coming out low and irritated, as his gaze locked against Yashira. "Shut up Miroku, I never met her mother, what does that hell you!"

"That you are a complete and utter fool," Yashira spat back annoyedly, her fingers adjusting the black ruffles of her skirt, as she set what she carried down by the monk "I clearly don't remember you." Her blue eyes were hard, her stance threatening, "Small worlds aren't so small are they?" She bent to adjust the bow from tipping awkwardly to the side as she added, "I wonder who's story is…" She made a sudden face, her blue eyes exploding, as she let out a startled yelp. Immediately Yashira whirled upon the monk with the free hands. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

With the resonant sound of a slap, Miroku stood there red face and red _cheeked _as Inuyasha rolled his golden eyes, "You just had to try didn't you?"

Miroku actually looked apologetic as he manage a faint smile. "Well, I couldn't resist."

"You mean you're not a noble monk?" Her eyes were hard, her gaze filled with incredibly, as Yashira backed away from him.

"I could have told you that," Inuyasha scoffed and then added to himself, ~If I cared.~

"I can't believe this," Yashira began, her tone clearly offended, "Of all the-" Then she stopped and straighten as Inuyasha jerked his face up with warily.

"Is something wrong?" Miroku began noticing that Inuyasha was sniffing the air disdainfully and that Yashira seemed suddenly restless. 

"Can't you feel it houshi?" Yashira whispered softly as the hairs on the back of her neck bristled uncomfortably.

"Gah, I can smell him from here." Inuyasha cursed with complete disgust, "Miroku get Kagome and the others... Naraku is making an appearance."

"What? You sure it isn't his clone?" Miroku started for others.

"What ever it is," Yashira interrupted, "It makes me feel nauseous…"


	8. Chapter 7

February 17, 2002

Sister Sister

By Yashira

Chapter 7

Inuyasha's voice was harsh and resolute as he jerked Tetsusaiga free with a viscous clang. "Miroku, go! I'll deal with Naraku! He's mine to settle with." Then leaping forward, his movements a mere blur, Inuyasha raced to meet the monster in question.

"Wait Inuyasha! Damn it. Yashira-sama," seeing that Inuyasha had already sped ahead, Miroku turned to entreat her, but discovered that, she too, was just as eager to meet Naraku. That girl was as reckless as Inuyasha. 

vvv

Deep throaty laughter issued from Naraku's grinning face as he regarded the cat demon, Necoa, with amused eyes. The red haired youkai, seemingly bored, was standing in plain site within the center of the half-ruined village, admiring her finely pointed nails. She stifled a growing yawn. "Heh, humans recover quickly… that's what I like about them… so much energy to steal…"

"You'll get your chance once you deal with Inuyasha," Naraku interjected smoothly, "Just stay put until, hmm… speaking of which maybe you don't have to stay still so long." He turned, his dark mass of hair swinging along his shoulders, as he watched the rapid approaching blur with mirth.

"NARAKU!!!!"

He started to laugh, clear glee in his face now. "There he is now."

Necoa smiled zealously, her cat-like grace working double for her in this night air, as she nimbly charged and was airborne for several moments. "You're mine, dog-breath!!" Red smoldering fire shot up everywhere along with twisting pieces of rubble, as half built homes exploded into furious showers of light and wood. Inuyasha, sword to the ready, twisted and turned to avoid the noxious blades of polluted smoke which snaked hungrily towards him. 

"Is that all you can do," he called out gruffly. And although his voice was taunting, it was clear he was a having a difficult time trying to find a vantage point to use his 'cutting wind' for the earth and ground cascaded in tremendous jolts of jaded stone and cat fire whenever he found equal footing. If only this youkai didn't have such a stunning smell and fire attack… if only…

Recently awaken villagers tore forth from ruined homes, their eyes horror stricken, as they fled the cat demon's onslaught in droves. Being so close to the morning's attack, it was utterly confusing and terrifying; their frantic cries reached both Naraku and Inuyasha in frighten shrieks. Naraku stood there chuckling at the whole show of destruction while his fingers playfully clutched a circular object in his hands. "Inuyasha," he called, his leering tone full of scorn, "How is it a dog like yourself is having such a problem with a little fire cat?"

"Shut up, you bastard!" His voice, hoarse from the flood of wretched smoke, was wearing thin as his eyes blistered from the heat of the unholy fumes. He started to gag. No, he had to do something before the fumes overtook him completely and he was left to the mercy of this wretched demon. HE WOULD NOT BE LEFT TO HER MERCY!!

… but no…

Even now he could feel a hazy sort of dizziness flood his senses, distorting his perception, forcing him to fall forward unto his knees and hands. Pulling Tetsusaiga free in a vain attempt to use the Kizu no Kaze was futile for the sword clattered to the ground, falling from his numb fingers, uselessly. 

"Such pretty hair, don't mind me as I colour it red with your blood!!" Necoa's voice was a depraved screech of delight as she appeared over head, flying down towards him in a mad dash, claws extended.

"Heaven Ascension blast-" Yashira's own voice was a sliver of venom as she roughly slid to a halt in front of some fleeing villagers and burning homesteads. She had her hands stretched out, blue wildfire issuing forth in searching waves. 

"WHAT?!" Necoa screamed as she was caught off guard, the pain lacing each word in agony, as she tried to leap backwards to avoid the purifying light. She wasn't fast enough. Part of her clothing started to burn, searing the flesh beneath excruciatingly, as the blast took her on the right side. "You bitch!"

Yashira stood there, her wild black hair blowing loosely down her shoulders, her blue eyed gaze lingering mercilessly at the demon in front of her. "I'm still here, or did you forget that piece of information in your bird size brain?" She stood there rigid and proud, watching the demon cat twist and turn now in a rapid dance which tried to outdistance the blue flames of Yashira's blasts. The hunter had now become the hunted.

"NARAKU, HELP ME!" Necoa screamed, as each additional Heaven blast, struck nearer and nearer to her again. She could feel the twisting pain gutting her side, as each step tired her more and more. She was going to get herself killed if she didn't escape now. 

He chortle as he thew something to Necoa… the same something which he'd been fingering in his hands earlier. The spherical object looked much like the clay ball he'd use to summon the hell bees. "Kukuku... are you as useless as Kagura?"

"YOU," Yashira said firmly, turning her gaze on the smug face of Naraku, who was clad in some freakish white baboon skins, "So I finally meet you in person." Her eyes were twisted on him in hatred, her tone equally so.

"It would seem so miko." He bowed to her, a mocking semblance of respect as if to show honour when truly presenting disdain. "I must say that the wait was more tedious and time consuming though. You aren't even as strong as the stories go…" 

Yashira sputtered, her gaze narrowing hard on the man who just simply laughed at her, "You have some nerve insulting me and then enchanting that lowlife youkai. She still does not measure up to me."

"Yeah, but did you know," he said dryly, his deceptive eyes looking at her with badly concealed mirth, "It let me meet you hasn't it. The companion to Kikyou, 50 years past, it really has been an honoured to see you haven't aged much…"

Yashira coloured, her face bristling in startlement, "What the hell are you yammering about, you stupid youkai! No hanyou…" She corrected, and yet her lips were trembling, her face flushing red. "You're confusing me with…"

Inuyasha could hardly keep conscious as the fire and smoke dwindled around him, his thinking, a jarred mass of incoherent and disordered thoughts slammed into one another repeatedly. He was utterly confused by what he did manage to overhear. "Huh?" What was Naraku and Yashira muttering about?

Naraku grinned. "Oh come now Yashira, you may have hid it well from the others, but… I can see what they do not. I was there when Kikyou died and you wandered off alone. Lone Miko… Such a laugh since you aren't even completely-" He broke out laughing as a flood of blue light raced towards him loudly. "Come now, you can aim better than that you know! Oh, that almost got me, come on try again. Kukuku, you and Inuyasha are both so hasty… I wonder if you share the same blood…" 

That insult clearly got her. "You take that back, you son of a bitch!" Her voice was frigid beyond belief; the fury inside her knew no bounds. "I am **NO** Dog HANYOU!!!" Yashira raced forward, flinging her hands out again, her moves less then graceful… as Naraku's insult seem to unnerve her steady, usually calm, demeanor. "You take that back!!"

Naraku turned to Necoa, his tone no longer gleeful, "Take care of her. She was a mistake I left running around, I want her removed."

Necoa's eyes were wide in fear and astonishment, "But.. but.." Something flew into her hands, the ball Naraku had held earlier, and she threw a questioning look at him, "What can I do with this?" She was mewling now, tail between her legs, as her watched Yashira close ground with Naraku quickly.

He merely shrugged as the blue light enveloped him, "She fights with her hands to call the heaven blast… this will merely take that factor out of the equation." Then he broke into a glittered array of pieces. A simple thread of hair and twisted piece of wood in the shape of a crudely fashioned doll fracturing on the ground as Yashira slammed her foot down hard. CRACK!

Blue eyes turning to face the red haired demon, fingers beginning to rise, Necoa's resolution took a steady climb upward. Flinging the ball at the black hair miko, the thing exploded into a mass of spiraling vines and roots. Veins of trembling cords shot out and latch themselves along Yashira's arms and legs instantly, effectively trapping her in a cocoon of plant like cords. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!" 

She stumbled and fell to her knees, arms tied securely against her sides. Unless she could move, she would not be able to use the heaven blast on Necoa, that much Naraku had said, and as the cat demon stared at the useless girl she saw how right he had been. "HAHA, finally, I can destroy you! And for what you did to my clothes and my skin… I'll make sure you pay dearly!" 

"Oh no you don't! KAZA ANA!!!!"

"Eh?" Necoa spun around in sudden alarm as she watched the black blurring void appear in the right hand of the houshi who stood with it raised. "No… damn it, Naraku, why didn't prepare for this…" Yet no sooner had she begun her irritating whine, but the sound of the hell wasps broke into the air, their clamorous buzzing overwhelming. She smirked, painted lips grinning widely in triumph. "Nevermind, time to die!"

Kagome and Sango appeared to Miroku's left, riding on Kirara's white furry back, as Kagome, bow to the ready, released a blazing arrow. "Stay back, Necoa!"

Necoa grinned, ducking away from the arrow that flew towards her as she dashed past the struggling Yashira. "Now, that I can deal with the bitch later, and this dog later too, I'll just dismember each and everyone of you now!"

"Eh?" Sango unhooked her Hirakotsu, determined to fling it towards the rapidly approaching demon, when Miroku moved to stand in front of her. "Miroku, what are you doing? Get out of my way!"

Hand held out, fingers spread, Miroku's face looked painstakingly resolute in the dying glare of the leftover fires, "Stand back, I'll suck her in!"

"No, Miroku!" Kagome screamed, "You'll suck in the wasps too!"

"I know," he replied simply, "But she's a threat we have to get rid of." He let his hand begin to take in some of the hellish wasps, as he struggled to keep the Kaza Ana going. Even now, as Necoa approached, he felt his body gasp under the poison and his gaze faltered a bit. 

"Huh, he's not… not stopping." She stared in shock as several of the hell wasps dove into his air hole. If he wasn't going to stop… if he didn't stop…

"Abunai," she screamed, turning around and racing away with a determined look to at least strike a telling blow on either Inuyasha or Yashira before she finalized her departure.

"I don't think so, Necoa, I can just the same change my direction to your next one!" And to accentuate his words, Kagome's purifying arrows shot directly afterwards to remind the youkai that she was still there also.

The fiery red-head, turned a moment, glaring furiously at Miroku, as she kept running. The look in her retreating face was ugly.

"Houshi-sama!" Sango cried out, leaping down from Kirara, when the cat demon in question had disappeared. Miroku started to sag to floor, his eyes closing abruptly.

vvv

In swift motions he raced through the peaceful glade of the surrounding wood. No one ever came here, no one ever crossed over to this sealed glen as his mother had been apt to tell him had once been the case. His father had crossed over to this side, a ronin wolf, but that was so long ago and he had never met him. Racing through the wood, the birds and squirrels his only companions, he stood by a great old tree. "Mother…" He whispered softly, "the woods are safe today…I hope your rest is peaceful…" Turning to glance away, swinging his black braid over his shoulder, Yajuumaru of the Whispering woods, lifted his face to the sky above.


	9. Chapter 8

April 1, 2002

Sister, Sister

By Yashira

Chapter 8

The cool collected breeze slid along his silver hair with a ruffling of soft whispers as his perfected walk pushed him along the crumbling dirt path unhindered. With his head held high, Sesshomaru's golden gaze briefly flickered about the surrounding landscape with a barely recognizable twinkle. The village which had once stood here had long since died and disappeared. Eaten it seemed, and overwhelmed by the hungry threads of wild grass and saplings. The foundations of stone and wood were barely discernable in the over-run foliage; it took an exceptionally sharp eye to realize they were even there. 

With green web-like fingers hugging the reins of the great two-headed beast which Rin rode, Jaken tentatively glanced about the place and up at his young master. "Sesshomaru-sama, surely you aren't still concerned about that miko? With your awesome strength and power, there's nothing to fear of that-"

Sesshomaru turned abruptly, his gaze exceedingly dark and haughty. "That face died over 50 years ago… the one who wears it now…" he paused and turned amber eyes to the side as he looked up ahead the way with a sudden thoughtful expression. "We will get answers here." He started forward again, towards a spot in the distance that looked suspiciously like a monastery hidden within the trees, "Now move."

***

Sango was screaming, her voice flinging across the burning remains of the surrounding village, in sharp echoes of alarm and panic as she leapt off of Kirara at a run. "Miroku!!!" He was crumpling to the ground, his body thudding down uselessly, when she reached him. 

Kagome was beside her in seconds, reaching down a shaking hand to touch the monk's clammy forehead. "Oh gods, he feels cold and hot at once…"

"Kagome-chan, I don't know what to do... he's looks worse than usual." Kirara shoved up beside Sango's legs, lending her warmth and reassurance to her mistress as Sango's arms circled Miroku's shoulders. "We need to get him to Kaede…"

Inuyasha rolled to his feet with an ugly oath on his irritated lips as he drew his hand over his forehead. Dark blood and grime was drawn back as he did so. "That bitch, she is so dead."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shrieked as she dropped the bow she carried, the same bow she'd found laying just outside the hut, as she reached for Miroku's shoulders to help Sango lift him over Kirara. "Release Yashira and come quickly, Miroku is…" ~_dying~ _She couldn't even say the word, instead she gestured helplessly for him to hurry.

Yashira was twisting about furiously, cursing as heatedly and heavily as Inuyasha was, as the vines that bound her drew ever tighter against her pale skin. Already welts and bruises were showing up along her hands and arms from where the ugly vines cut her circulation and she tossed her head, black hair sliding defiantly over one eye, when Inuyasha made any motion to her. He came to stand in front of her reluctantly, his shadow shutting out the glare from the fires that still raged behind him.

"I… have to help her?" The incredibly in his voice belied the mere disgust in his amber gaze.

"Hurry Inuyasha! PLEASE, for Miroku!" Kagome's cry must have jarred something inside his heart because Inuyasha was snarling and muttering angrily as he quickly slashed the vines that bound Yashira. 

***

She watched Kaede and Sango lay Miroku gently on a bed of mats as her words, mere whispers to Inuyasha, ran along the lines of, "He looks … bad. I've never seen him like this." 

Sango was busy pouring water into a basin and tearing up some cloths in which to soak them in as Inuyasha grumbled in returned, "He's never taken in so many before." His gaze on Miroku, as he laid there unconsciously between spattering of cold and hot flashes, was purely of concern and uneasiness. "He really does look bad."

"Let me see to him…" Yashira spoke calmly as if subdued, the usual aloofness in her voice temporarily disappearing in the face of this poor man's suffering. She pushed past Inuyasha and Kagome with no more than a thought as she absently rubbed her bruised wrists and arms. "With my powers, I can heal a bit… perhaps remove the poison in his system."

Already Inuyasha was scowling and grumbling, but with one motion of her hand on his chest, Kagome managed to restrain him. "Let her try… it's more than I can do. I can't heal at all."

"Neither could Kikyo," Inuyasha murmured quietly, but it brought a sharp look from Kagome and he turned to look another way as if he had never spoken the miko's name.

Yashira knelt down on the cool ground and moved her fingers softly along Miroku's now burning flesh. He was so very hot. The more Sango dampen his forehead with water from the basin, the more he sweated and moaned incoherently. "He's burning," Yashira took a deep breath, but unexpectedly winced as she jerked her right hand back. "Eya!"

"What's wrong Yashira? " Kagome bolted to her side as Inuyasha and Sango turned startled faces at the sudden exclamation.

She cradled her hand carefully and took ragged breaths, "God… oh gods. It's unnatural… it eats at his being as if its poison, but it… it's _so_ _much worst_…" Her blue eyes had taken on unnatural hue, almost amber in effect, as she traced her fingers quickly to the necklace she wore. Her breathing came hard and fast, "I… can't… can't do it…" ~_It would cause the change… if I did~ _

Sango reached down and gripped Miroku's hand tightly. "What are we going to do? We can't let him die." 

"It was like so much darkness in his blood…" Yashira's voice was stunned and she looked so very pale as she rambled on. Everything about her looked pale... even her raven black hair.

"If we could only remove it," Shippo was crying, his childish voice exclaiming loudly, as he flung his tear-stained face over the blanket at Miroku's side. "I don't want him to die!!!"

Yashira, as if she were still in some sort of trance, murmured something almost incoherent as she staggered to her feet and stumbled backwards. "Averios…"

"What was that?" Kagome reached over to help steady the stunned miko. "Averios, what's that?"

Kaede blinked with surprise, staring at Yashira and Kagome with wide open eyes. "You mean the blessed healing herb?"

Yashira nodded. "You've heard of it too, if we had the Averios it would sooth the darkness in his blood, but... but I heard that the plant went out of existence over 50 years ago…"

"Surely that can't be true," Sango looked as if she would burst into tears of frustration any second now.

Kaede wobbled around Miroku and Sango to stand before Kagome, Yashira and Inuyasha. "There may be one last hope. I knew of a place… the last place it grew freely under…"

"Where was that?" Kagome asked, her voice a reedy whisper as she listened in awe. If there was any way to saved Miroku she would snap at the chance as quickly as she could.

"It was beneath the roots of the Goshinboku." Kaede glanced significantly at Inuyasha and Kagome. "But that was before the time of the sealing…"

Inuyasha looked troubled his golden eyes seemingly locked in another time, "Sealed by Kikyo huh?"

Kagome caught his tone and touched his arm with a soft shake, "Inuyasha…"

Kaede shook her aged head and continued on as if they hadn't interrupted her. "In a way, there was a path, down within the roots which completely disappeared when Inuyasha was sealed…" She saw the confusion in their eyes and wobbled towards the doorway. "Perhaps, it may be best if I show it to you first."

***

They stared attentively, looking down at the roots where they met earth, as Kaede stood in front of the Goshinboku. Within the vines that circled the base of the tree, there looked to be a spot that may have hid a cavernous hole now semi-buried with dirt, stone, and grass.

Inuyasha stared at Kaede with barely contained annoyance and disgust. "Look Kaede-baba, it's just a hole where some squirrel hid its nuts… we shouldn't be wasting our time here when we can be doing something useful to help Miroku."

Yashira turned her face to the side, as she stared down at the mass of roots scrupulously, "I think one of us would get stuck if we tried to squeeze down into that hole…" Her eyes lifted abruptly and fell on the vivid scar of Inuyasha's sealing. The wood looked torn, weathered, and puckered as if someone had begun to pound it with a hatchet, but then stopped for some reason. She frowned. From the small snatches of conversation she'd picked up, this hanyou had had some sort of seal placed on him by Kikyo at this very spot. She was curious about what had happened, but deliberately kept her mouth shut. She hadn't been here the day Kikyo died and she hadn't stayed long enough to learn how she had died. Perhaps that had been an error on her part, but she could not go back and change it now. Besides… if it _was_ important they would mention it again.

"Not unless I cut the tree to pieces…" He pulled out his sword looking at the wood thoughtfully. "I think I can do it in one blow."

"Osuwari." Kagome looked a bit apologetic as Inuyasha slammed hard into the ruthless ground, "I'm sorry, but no cutting down Goshinboku."

Kaede frowned at the imprint which was Inuyasha and shook her head with clear disapproval. "In all my life Inuyasha, you always have to complain. Just dig a little hole by the roots, okay?"

He glared from the impression in the ground, but with the four of them waiting, Yashira, Kagome, Kaede and Shippo -Sango opting to stay behind and tend to Miroku in the meantime- he finally relented. "Fine, but I do so under duress." After a moment of digging he turned to face them, "There it's big enough for Shippo. Come on you little pip-squeak, it's your turn."

"Me?" The kitsune looked nervous as Inuyasha leapt back and crossed his arms impatiently.

"He's right," Kagome acknowledged as she smiled at Shippo for support, "Nee Shippo-chan, you want to go down and give a look around? It's for Miroku afterall." 

He slapped his hands together, little fox feet scratching against the floor, as he leapt into the hole head first. "I'll save Miroku with the Averios!" There was a swishing sound as he slid forward, body wriggling as far as he could go before he let out a frighten shriek, "Help, I'm stuck!"

Yashira rolled her eyes and Kagome covered hers. Inuyasha stormed forward and threw his fingers into the hole. Within a moment he jerked Shippo free by the scruff of his tail and waved him around in the open air. "You'll save Miroku eh?"

Shippo was pouting, his eyes going all blurry with tears as Kagome gently took the kitsune from Inuyasha's fingers. "No need to rub it in."

Inuyasha had a self righteous smirk on his face, "Oh yeah, but I told you."

Yashira was flexing her fingers, little showers of white-blue energy dancing along the edges of them as she flick one at Inuyasha. "Be nice about it."

"You bitch," he cursed vehemently as he jumped away from her. One of the sparks bore a painful, yet tiny hole into haori. "If you do that again, I'll give you the Kizu no Kaze, 10 fold!"

Kagome set Shippo down before she immediately wedged herself forward, determined to prevent these two from bashing heads with each other. "Stop it you two, just wait and let me try at least. I think I can push in somewhere here…" 

Yashira looked undaunted as Inuyasha let out a sour word, "And you'll just get as stuck as Shippo…" There was a pause as Kagome, shoulders, seemingly stuck, was met with another angry reply from Inuyasha, "I TOLD YOU." However he wasn't quite finished saying that when Kagome gave a startled yelp and abruptly slid forward. "Kagome?" 

"It is as I feared, only mikos can go through now…" Kaede's voice was soft, but the seriousness of the tone reminded the others that she was still there. Inuyasha's startled voice was somewhere between a curse and shock.

"WHAT?!"

"But, but that means…" Shippo's eyes watered as he wobbled over to Kaede and hung off her pant leg, "I can't go in and neither can Inuyasha!"

Kaede nodded and yet seemed very thoughtful as she glanced over to the only other woman that now remained with them. "But Yashira can and she could probably take one other person with her. Her miko power has some different taste to it." If she was referring to Yashira's insinuation that she could heal, she did not come out clearly to say that now, but instead Kaede just stared at the girl with clear eyes. If the girl could do that, she could probably do much more.

Yashira was oddly silently, she simply crossed her bruised arms and looked the other way.

"We could just wait for Kagome to come back," Inuyasha began rather dubiously, "I really don't think-"

"Possibly," Kaede began, but there was a tone to her voice that made Inuyasha and Yashira both turn. "But.."

"But what?" His voice had turned snappish; he didn't like playing this game with Kaede. It just unnerved him to no end, "Don't wallow around with it, spit it out!"

Kaede took a guarded breath and let it out slowly. "If it was anything like it was before the time of the sealing, the doorway out that leads back here was elsewhere… and there's more. I was always wary of this hole as a child ever since I learned of the story about the time a wolf hanyou disappearing within and never came back…"

"What the hell does that have to do with Kagome?"

"I... I think I understand," Yashira spoke up suddenly, her tone thoughtful and yet filled with the haughtiness she usually reserved for the youkai she fought with. "Doorway in, is not the doorway out. Kagome is alone in there without anyone to guide her. Feh, so where is the doorway out, Kaede?"

"I don't know. I never went in." and she had the decency to looked slightly embarrassed, "Of the men that went in after that wolf hanyou, only one returned. He came back half-dead from starvation and carried only a hand full of flowers, of which one was the special Averios herb. He never truly recovered from his ordeal and when he tried to show the villagers the spot the others had disappeared through, he could not go in." She took a hard breath and sighed, "Others tried the path, those that manage to go in did not return. Eventually people stopped trying… that was about 200 years ago"

"AND YOU SENT KAGOME IN THERE?!" Inuyasha's face had gone livid as red anger flashed his cheek.

Kaede fixed her eyes on him with a touch of annoyance, "Kagome choose to go in there herself."

"That's true, I saw her do it," Yashira agreed as she cocked her head thoughtfully to the side. "And you're saying it's a one way use so that if she does come back, without the Averios, there's no way for her to go back and get some." Yashira bit at her lower lip absently as she studied the tree. "So basically we have a warded tree that is "one use" and only "one use" to mikos now… with no clear way path. I can see the problem now."

Shippo watched this with huge tear filled eyes, "What are you going to do about Kagome!?" He jumped up and bashed Inuyasha on the head, "This is all your fault!"

"My fault, why you stupid little…"

"I think I can make it," Yashira's voice was flat and serious as she stumbled forward and pushed the dirt and clinging grass roughly aside. "I'll just find-"

Kaede stamped her foot and motioned hurriedly to where Yashira was about to disappear into the hole. "Look, while you argue who knows what trouble Kagome will get into... and if Yashira goes down that hole without you, you're going to get left behind. You got about two seconds before she takes that choice from you."

Inuyasha stopped chasing Shippo and jerked around at Kaede's words, "Eh?"

Yashira paused, blue eyes glancing back at them as her right eyebrow raised querulously, "You're still not suggesting that I-"

"Yashira, please," Kaede looked exceedingly hopeful, "just take him with you. I know you don't like youkai and hanyou, but you can trust him. Kagome trusts him and so do I… well most of the time." 

"Oh thanks a lot and NO, I still don't need her!" Inuyasha looked exceedingly disgruntled as Yashira chuckled and with a dismissive shrug she turned to dive forward.

"Suit yourself, I'll say hi to Kagome for you!"

Kaede slapped her forehead with a "why me" gestured before turning away with Shippo at her legs. This was proving to be entirely too long a night. Consequently, she was surprise when she heard a moment later, "Wait, wait!" issuing forth from Inuyasha's lips. 

He still looked furious as he padded over to where Yashira waited, but there was almost a desperation to his movements now. He wasn't going to leave Kagome alone when he could get to where she was and protect her… even if that meant he risked humiliating himself by asking this proud miko for her help. He dropped to his knees and reached a hand to hers. The look on his face was fierce and littered with stubbornness.

Yashira didn't seem to help matters as she arched an eyebrow and opened her mouth, but her words did not come.

Both were surprised suddenly when Kaede suddenly stepped in and reached forward to clasped both their hands together, "He's proud like you are… don't make him beg…" Then with a quick shove, she thrust them down. 


	10. Chapter 9

May 4, 2002

(Author's Note: Yajuumaru, Bishouen and all around original good looking young man, is a trademark of Leloi and is brought into this story with her permission. I couldn't let Yashira's equal stay clear of this story... it just isn't done. ^__^)

Sister, Sister

By Yashira

Chapter 9 

Fearful shrieks and howls, echoing like madden black birds suddenly caught in an invisible net, emancipated from three young girls with panic stricken features. They raced down a proud stone archway which incased a stairway with precious cries of, "Mikada! Mikada!" The girls wore simple kimonos of white, had their black hair tied back into delicate buns, and they carried what look like rosary beads tucked into their sashes. 

In panic-stricken shoves they filed down into the stone-built room, known to them as the "inner sanctum," with a desperate attempt to reach the white haired woman standing before an ornate dish lit with fire.

The room was equally ornate and beautiful in itself as reliefs of carved mythical creatures were imprinted along each and every wall. The marble floor was etched with a star like pattern that was partially obscured by the strips of gold carpet which raced from the open archway in three different directions, North, East, West. Benches of oak, laced with flowers and scented with lavender, laid on either side of the room as torches, lit and set into scones, illuminated the remainder of the room where the dais and the woman known as Mikada stood upon. 

Without greeting them, not even lifting her face to acknowledge they were there, the white haired woman sprinkled a bit of dry herbs into the flames of the golden dish. If she had not moved she may have been mistaken for being part of the room. Her clothing was simple and yet costly. The red fabric of her skirt was of the rarest of silks as was the pureness of her white blouse. Like a statue carved with exquisite detail, she stood frozen until she finally broke the silence in a voice that was both authorial and condemning. "What is it?" The crushed smell of sage mingling with that of cinnamon rose thickly in the air.

"Outside… there's... strangers… not human…" Their exertions clearly showed on pale faces with cheeks aglow with a crimson backwash. The girls were huffing and puffing, trying to get their breath back. "One is… a youkai…"

The woman did not seem to stir a moment as aged fingers rested a moment over the fire. 

"Mikada..?" The eldest of the three girls was rubbing the tears softly from her cheeks as fear had made her cry -fear of the youkai or of Mikada- it wasn't quite sure at the moment. "They're coming this way."

"Let him come…" And there was fierceness to the voice as she turned her face to the children, "I will meet him here…"

"How-how did you know it's a him?" The eldest asked, but immediately started to whimper as the woman fixed stern pale grey eyes on her. 

"I even know his name… are you still sure you wish to know why?" 

The girl did not even dare lift her head let alone return an answer.

***

Quick fleeting footsteps, almost like a sudden rustling through summer leaves, echoed through the forest as he raced ahead. Branches flew back, leaves parted as he danced through the foliage and down the sunlit path, but ever onward he pressed. "This is a beautiful day for running," he called out to the birds that whistled over head, his voice resonant and vibrant, as he could not help, but throw back head back with clear laughter flowing from his lips. 

It was such a perfect day. The bright yellow sunlight surrounded him with warmth and devotion making his whole body feel safe and completely at peace. He felt comfortable here… comfortable and protected. He continued his race with the birds through the forest, his bare feet making swift easy passages over branch, grass, and dirt, with neither a care in the world. Everything was right with the world! Everything was…!?!

His breath caught suddenly as if he had been struck with a hammer, and his green eyes narrowed sharply on the view ahead. There were others here? Others of his kind? For the first time in his 200-year existence, there were others!

He slid his fingers deftly over the rough bark as green emerald like eyes watched the two of them in amazement. ~Others of my kind…a man and a woman…~ His bushy tail shifted nervously as he swallowed uneasily. He wanted so very much to run up to them and greet them, but there was a flutter of panic that grew to a heart wrenching fear when he realized he didn't know a thing about them. What if he did something that would… gasp... make them hate him? There was no way he was about to make the first people he had ever met into instant enemies so he did what any smart person would do, he hid.

Yajuumaru, lord of all that was the Whispering woods, with his wolfish-bushy tail hanging between his legs, cowered from behind the trees. He would watch and learn; wait and spy.

***

"What the fuck?!" Inuyasha spat out dirt and grass from where he had fallen promptly on his face. He knew he was sprawled over the dark green grass beneath him, but there was also something lumpy and not quite dirt like. "Kaede's got a lot to answer for… damn it…"

"Nice greeting to this area, hanyou, now get the fuck off me!" Yashira, as her pale face squished into the fresh grass underneath Inuyasha, pressed hard fingers into his exposed arm. There was a slight smell of burning skin before an echoing curse followed. Roughly Inuyasha was on his feet, whirling around with his hand on Tetsusaiga. 

"You stupid bitch, what the fuck was that for?"

"It got you up didn't it?" Already she was on her knees and starting to rise to her feet.

"Oh I'll show you, what I got up!" With Tetsusaiga ringing free of its sheath, he raised the old blade high into the air as he prepared to lash out the Kaze no Kizu.

"Osuwari!!"

"DAMN IT!" 

***

Waiting… took an awful long time. If he did not have the patience of the very ancient woods around him, he would have tore out his black braided hair in frustration. No, instead he diligently watched the group argue as the white hair man or was it a boy, since he was clearly too young to be old, argued with one a woman. If it wasn't for that hair which seemed bleached like bone and the dog ears, Yajuumaru would have felt even more conscious of his own physical features. His wolf tail and ears shaped almost like that of an elf would have stood out even more.

In surprise he watched the boy pull out a sword to attack the woman, the face of whom Yajuumaru could not see. He may have grown up within a land of peace, but he knew the difference from playing nice and being mean… his mother had made sure he had learn that lesson at a very young age before she had _rooted_. "Now see-" He tried to say, but his voice was drowned out by a newcomer who said a simple word which sent the boy crashing to the forest floor.

"Sit?" he pondered with confusion. "That would never work on me... must be something to do with that white hair." 

He shifted through the trees, blending his body into the bark as he moved in closer. 

***

"Okay. Well, now that we're here… what are we suppose to do?" Kagome was glancing around the forest with curious eyes. She could hear the flutter of bird and squirrel as they scuttled along the branches, but she could not see them. "I did a little bit of exploring, but I don't know what the Averios looks like and this place is _huge_." She sounded a bit dejected.

"Did anyone think to ask Kaede about what it looked like?" Inuyasha's voice had a trace of suspicion and yet mixed with it was the condemning air of one suddenly thrusted into a situation that was both against his better and uniformed knowledge.

Kagome's brown eyes gave Inuyasha a thorough look over. "Well, did you think of it?" The hanyou had the good sense to be looking elsewhere when Kagome turned the question back on him. 

"I've seen it once so I think I could find it," Yashira replied with a smirk as she gestured the description to them with her slender fingers. "Just look for a very small herb that has 3 leaves…"

"You're not thinking of poison ivy, are you?" Kagome wore a classic look of bewildered surprise. "If you are I got news for you. It is not as extinct as you think it should be."

Negatively shaking her head, Yashira delicately smoothed out her black rumpled skirt and white blouse. "This plant has 3 leaves and it's a distinct shade of blue. It sprouts white flowers every 2nd year and it tends to grow in or near the roots of huge aged trees."

"Ah, okay… well I didn't see anything blue then." Kagome replied dejectedly as she turned her gaze up into the branches ahead, "I hope Miroku is still okay… What if the herb doesn't grow here."

"Let's not think like that, nee Kagome?" Yashira's blue eyes fell on the girl with a grim expression. "There was a saying by a certain teacher I had when I was growing up. She said, _Do what you must do without regrets…_ So let us just do what we can."

Kagome let out a soft sign, her worrisome thoughts still on Miroku, "I guess… I'm just worried." She paused unexpectedly and blinked in surprise at Yashira, "Hey, why are you looking at me like that?"

Yashira looked a bit startled as if she'd been caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar, "Ah, nothing sorry. You just looked like someone I knew, for a moment. Shall we go?" She hadn't really expected to give Kagome a thoroughly look over and had been trying to keep herself from doing that ever since she'd first been in their company, but the girl looked so much like-

"You know, for a plant that is extinct, how the hell did you see one up close?" Inuyasha's voice was purely suspicious as it distracted the young miko from her thoughts.

With a shake of her head, Yashira glanced at Inuyasha with a look of irritation. "Like I would explain anything to you…. Now shall we go look."

"That's not an answer, bitch. Look you may be able to get Kaede and the others convinced to trust you, but you can't convince me…" 

Black hair swirled around her shoulders as she spun around to face him with blue eyes paling and lifted outstretched fingers she called out boldly, "HEAVEN ASCENSION-"

Golden amber eyes narrowed furiously as he jerked Tetsusaiga free, "You bitch, if you think I'm going to-!"

"Yashira, please don't!" Kagome cried out and yet her words fell on deaf ears because Yashira simply did not heed her.

"BLAST!" 

Blue-white fire struck out from her hand, coiling and springing forward like a snake to smack hard into the tree just to the left of Inuyasha.

"FEH, your aim is getting worse and worse," Inuyasha mocked as he brought Tetsusaiga in for a returning blow. He would not let her lift her fingers against him for a second time.

"I wasn't aiming at you, you self-absorbed idiot. There's a youkai in that tree… or was… a moment ago." Blue eyes fixed on the wood in front of her that was scorched and emancipated a burnt and crispy smell. "It's not there now, but by the mark on the wood it had been…"

Kagome blinked in surprised as she fixed her gaze on the wood. There were traces of… something, but whatever it was, was now gone. "What was it?"

"You can't fool-" And yet Inuyasha let the words die on his lips as he turned and took a few steps into the woods. His footsteps had started slow, but they intensified until he was running. "There's something here…" He returned a moment later with a look of surprise on his face. "There was something in the air, I could smell it… something like a wolf and yet isn't. The scent dies though, it just disappears as if it wood ate it. There was definitely something though."

Kagome looked suddenly worried as she crept closer to Inuyasha. "Maybe that's why those villagers never came back… because of a youkai here?"

Inuyasha growled and glared at the woods around him as if by his ferocity that would keep any ill seekers away. "Well, whatever it was, I know its smell and Yashira can sense when it's near by. Together we'll just smash it to pieces." He paused and glanced at their startled expressions. "WHAT?"

Weaving a hand through her black hair, she turned a dismissive shrug in his direction. "Provided that I would help a hanyou…"

"Hey, don't think it's because I like you or anything," Inuyasha huffed indignantly, "I just won't let anything hurt Kagome… and I'm sure you would think that too." ~Afterall she's a miko like you and you don't harm your kind…~

"Perhaps." Her reply was guarded and cautious as if she did not wish to give an inch to anything he would say. "Come lets go… your friend won't heal on his own… unless you call death a 'healing.'"

There was a low deep growl from his throat, followed by a venous yellow-eyed stare which was suddenly interrupted by Kagome. "Inuyasha, just… let it go. I think she'll help... just don't push her." Kagome reached out for his sleeve and he looked a bit aback by her words.

Those had been Kaede's very words to Yashira. _Don't push him. _Was he, and Yashira, so similarly alike that they got the same warning? No, may it never be. He took a few steps forward with Kagome held protectively at his side. 

"Maybe if we split up…"

He let out a snort at Yashira's words. "That's the last thing we need with whatever is out there, but if you want to go off on your own, then go ahead." 

"Now, now, don't be like that. I'm sure we can do this right." Kagome replied with a hopeful expression. "Come on. It is for Miroku, let's not argue and find the plant."

"Yeah, and if we could? Where's the exit?" Inuyasha was quick to remind them of the downside of their situation. "Didn't think of that did you? Feh."

Yashira rolled her eyes at him as she started down the forest path. Birds and squirrels still whistled at their approach, but they seem hidden and well out of reach. "Kaede didn't know, but I'm sure we can find it. We're both mikos, we could sense it…" 

He grumbled sourly, "I hope so… getting stuck here with Kagome is one thing, but being stuck here with you too… is entirely another."

She gave him a wry smile, "Then we at least agree on something, hanyou. Let's us go."

***

He stood in the branches about a great distance away from them. God! He had NEVER expected that girl to sense him! One moment he had been passing through the trees, moving swiftly to get a closer look at them and then the next moment she had turned to stare at him. He had never expected that feeling he got when she had faced him either because it was almost as if they had connected on some deep subconscious level.

Her black hair slid down a pale oval face, with sharp blue eyes so prominent that he felt they could see within and beyond him. In fact those blue eyes had been so sharp that he had lost himself in their gaze. Only quick instinct had saved him, when she had thrown that blue-white fire at him, sending him spinning wildly from the tree. After that he'd disappeared into the trees around him before the white hair boy could think to track. But that girl... had sensed him.

He'd have to keep an eye out for that one. There was something about her, aside from her uncanny ability to sense when he came near, that intrigued him. _And_, he told himself solidly, It had nothing to do with her being pretty either.

***

"Nothing... nothing's here," Yashira called back as she kicked at a mound of dirt near the fifth tree they'd "searched." 

"Are you sure it's only these kind of trees that let the Averios grow beneath it?" Kagome was searching with her fingers, weaving them through the dirt and grass as Yashira growled and cursed.

"Yes," Yashira replied as a hint of frustration leaked into her voice. "Only aged trees similar to the Goshinboku can support that herb… there may be hundreds of them that seem that old, but I've only found 5 similar trees so far. It is a poor progress that has us spending most of the day with little or nothing to show of it."

Inuyasha grumble uneasily as he watched them out of the corner of his eyes. "Did you notice that it's only now turning into night? Wasn't it night when we left…"

Kagome's brown eyes blinked with surprised as he mentioned that. "You know, I was so worried about Miroku… I didn't think about it. I just thought it was a quirk of the "world" we're in."

"Actually it was going to be dawn when we left the village," Yashira replied absently as she strode forward and down another path that appeared within the woods. "We've been here since early dawn…"

Kagome tried to stifle a betraying yawn as her eyes filled with concern. "I wonder how Miroku is doing? Anything could have happened in the time we've been gone."

"Damn, at this rate he'll be dead." Inuyasha slammed his fist into a nearby tree, cursing the frustrating slowness of the situation.

"Maybe." Yashira murmured softly as she recalled the monk who had taken in the hell bees to save them all. Her fingers slid over her necklace around her neck as she remembered the pain and darkness that had flowed from him to her. "But he's a strong man…" ~He has to be if he's still alive~

"If night falls, only Inuyasha will be good enough to go looking," Kagome added softly, her gaze solemn and fixed on Inuyasha as she spoke, "He has good eyes, even in the dark."

"But he doesn't know what he's looking for…" Yashira began as she glanced at the darkening landscape with a sense of hesitation and uneasiness. She was a bit hungry and she knew the others were also since no one had brought anything to eat. She also was fatigued with the lack of sleep the night before, and yet she didn't want to stop... to stop would be to condemn that black haired monk to death. She wasn't prepared to do that. "We can't leave that important task to him…"

"Stop talking about me as if I'm not here… I can find what ever I need be… if you two are going to sit down and rest when it gets dark, I can still go look." Inuyasha had his arms crossed, and his stance firm, "What good are you if you can't see in the dark?"

Yashira arched her eyes at him, "Oh?"

"Fuck yes… Remember he's _my_ friend too." He paused in the woods and sniffed the air. "Hmm smells like a hot spring… you and Kagome can even go clean up while I go looking. "

***

"I don't see how we have time to waste here," Yashira huffed as she removed her clothing and followed Kagome's example of moving deep within the warm waters of the hot spring.

"Ah this feels nice. " Kagome replied as she rested her tired back against the sulfuric rocks. Not only did these rocks smell, but they also seemed to give off a yellowish shade of light that lit the whole area with a soft glow. "It's been a while." 

The place seemed almost natural in the way it seemingly blended with the enclave of woods surrounding them protectively, but there was something wrong with the layout… it was more artificial than natural occurring. How was that possible?

Hot sulfuric bubbles boiled beneath the surface of the water's edge as Kagome trailed her fingers through them. "Inuyasha can search in the darkness more than what we could do Yashira. And he's concerned about us… since we're human. He knows we need to rest."

"Human? Ah yeah. Well I could see that being true of you, but me… no… I don't need to rest." She added the last quickly as if she had realized how her words might untimely be construed. Yashira moved slowly in, her black hair sliding over well-shaped breasts and neatly flat stomach. "At least it's hot…"

Kagome blinked, surprised at seeing what looked like a pair of old scars, like claw marks, sliding along Yashira's abdomen. How had she got scars like that? By Youkai? "Well. He doesn't like to show it… especially to people who… don't treat him fairly," she hesitated over those words as she glanced away to the side, "But he has a good heart."

"A good heart eh? I wonder if it isn't because you seem soft on him." There was a sort of bitterness to her words as if her thoughts seemed to linger on something else… or another memory. 

"Ah well, that is…" Kagome blinked abruptly and then cocked her head quickly to the side. Was someone watching them? "If that's you Inuyasha…OSUWARI!"

There was no telltale echoing thud in reply. Yashira was already turning, her eyes narrowing, "HEAVEN ASCENSION BLAST!!!" Blue-white fire flew out into the woods ahead, sending branches falling and crumbling to the ground. "He's gone…"

"He?" There was startled tint to Kagome's voice. She hadn't been able to figure out gender and didn't know why Yashira had.

"Yeah, but, he's gone… for now."

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha came crashing through the woods, appearing somewhere on the opposite left of where they had been focusing their attention.

"OSWUARI!"

Yashira slid into the water as Inuyasha fell face first into the hot spring's edge, "He'll be back though… I know it."

***

Yajuumaru stopped within the trees, his breath ragged and hanging in his throat as if he'd just run for ages. So that's what she looked like up close. God, he felt wild shivers rush through his body as if he held a raging fever. She… she… What his mother had once warned him off… this woman was the one! His one! 

What was wrong with his body? It wanted… something… something indescribable and yet… yet he could not name it! But it all had to do with her… that much he was aware of. If there was anything that he had ever wanted in his life, he was sure it was HER. He wanted her.

***

"Kaede… he's getting worse. I've never seen him go so long without recovering. Oh gods, when will Kagome-chan and Inuyasha come back?" Sango wrung her hands over the wet towel she had pressed over Miroku's boiling forehead. Nearly half a day had passed since the others had left, but already it felt like more than a year.   


Kaede could only shrug, "God willing they find the exit soon and the all come back safe. God willing."


	11. Chapter 10

July 8, 2002

(Author's Note: Yajuumaru, Bishouen and all around original good looking young man, is a trademark of Leloi and is brought into this story with her permission. I couldn't let Yashira's equal stay clear of this story... it just isn't done. ^__^)

Sister, Sister

By Yashira

Chapter 10

Sesshoumaru's frost rigid words were tinged in disgust as if they had been fermenting in corrosive acid for days as he cast aloof amber eyes at the old woman before him. "Explain yourself Mikada." Knowing that he would not give any _fuel_ to Mikada regarding his charge and his servant, Sesshomaru left Rin and Jaken with the two headed dragon outside, intending to come down and deal with the situation personally and without hindrance. Right hand tucked into the fabric of his left sleeve he did his best to cross his "arms" and glare conceitedly into the woman's defiant eyes. "Well?"

"I do not see the need to explain anything to a youkai… especially one who claims lineage from the Great Dog Demon who sought to mingle his cursed blood with that of a human woman." Mikada's voice was etched with poisonous disdain and revulsion as she shook her head, the loose white hair swinging against her shoulders, and continued to glare back at him with eyes of frost. She was an old woman, clearly visible by the numerous wrinkles that stretched under her eyes, cheeks and bare hands, but the way she stood and held herself made her seem insolent, demanding, defiant… almost youthful. 

"I think you do," he replied evenly, his golden eyes falling on the three students who cowered at Mikada's skirts as if the old woman could protect them from the rage of full grown demon. He humoured the children by casting a withering glance in their direction which sent them clinging more desperately against the woman's skirt. "You reported to my father and his…" and it was obvious by his tone that he found his words distasteful, "wife, over 50 years ago that my… younger hanyou sister had died a few hours after her birth. You were their midwife before the child died and you mysteriously disappeared afterwards-" 

"I do not see how events of the past have any bearing on the here and now. I was a midwife once to a noble woman until I learned of who and what she carried… I left her employ a long time ago…" Mikada's voice was brittle like fractured ice, the tone dangerously vehement and deadly. She could have been facing a legion of demons and her arrogant and self-important eyes would not have blinked at all. "Just what are you here for…"

There was stunning silence which fell between them as if Sesshomaru was calculating the best way to shake the old human woman up most aside from tearing her head from throat. After a long arduous span of silence, he said simply, using truth like a cold heart weapon it could become, "She lives…" 

The grey eyes which stared into his honey gold eyes did not flinch nor blink and yet there was understanding revealed in their depths. He had used simple words and so Mikada replied with her own simple words. "So what." 

***

"I'm so sorry." Kagome sounded miserably apologetic for what seemed the millionth time as Inuyasha sat sulking by a fire they'd hastily prepared after shuffling out of the hot spring. He was soaked and drenched like a puppy coming in from a bad storm and the scowling look on his face did not help matters at all.. "It was reaction."

"Feh."

Near Inuyasha, Yashira sat in what was her long white "miko" top since her black skirt had been used as a covering for Inuyasha. Neither had agreed for the use of the skirt in this matter, but for the sake of modesty since Inuyasha couldn't dry off with wet clothes, Yashira had finally consented to letting him "borrow" it for the moment. It was better he wore the long skirt as a blanket, then have him sit naked next to them. "Well I'm surprised," Yashira's flat voice spoke with what looked like begrudging approval, "at least you manage to bring back something edible." In front of the fire, roasting on sticks were some sort of hard nuts and sweet smelling berries he had found. "Although soggy berries aren't going to be tasty after they get done cooking…." 

"Would you like to go swimming for the rest of the berries," Inuyasha turned his gaze away as he grumbled the last under his breath. Half of what he had foraged and brought back was probably still at the bottom of the hot spring. "I could help throw you back in."

She returned his threat with a narrowing of her blue eyes. "Just try it."

Glancing back at the hot spring which winked out from two nearby trees, Kagome seemed thoughtful. The meager food left drying over the fire would be enough for a small dinner, but there wouldn't be enough left for breakfast the next day if they didn't think ahead now. "If the two of you can behave long enough, maybe I can go and fish some more of it out. That way it'll save us time when we go look for the Aventos tomorrow for Miroku." She stumbled to her feet and pulled out one of the half burning sticks to use as a makeshift torch. "I'll be nearby so you don't have to worry." 

The fire crackled inconspicuously at Kagome's departure as both Yashira and Inuyasha sat, cross-legged and tight-lipped, by its fluttering heat. "Hmpt."

As Kagome could be heard splashing and uttering delightful gasps as she managed to scoop up the occasional handful of wet nuts and berries, Inuyasha causally turned to face Yashira, his golden eyes thoughtful, "Back there with Naraku and Necoa… he called you a hanyou…" He hadn't actually said the words as Inuyasha was now phrasing it, but Naraku had insinuated as much which basically meant the same thing in the end.

His words surprised her as was evident by the colour rising in her cheeks. "He lied." She replied unevenly as her blue eyes narrowed on the flickering orange flame that chewed over the remains of the wood in the campfire. 

"You don't have to play this game. I was there." His tone was soft given that he seemed subdued as if the drenching in the hot spring had been a sobering slap in the face. "I heard what he said and I remember how you reacted." He stared openly at her now, his golden eyes unwavering as he spoke, "You lost your cool _miko_."

Yashira returned his stare as Inuyasha's eyes held hers hard. "I am a miko. It would be impossible if I was a…." Her hesitation was too bright on her lips that Yashira was aware that he couldn't have missed the uncertainty in her tone and voice unless he was stupid. "A hanyou to have this miko power… what ever he said… he lied."

"He spoke of you and Kikyou… he spoke of long ago…" His eyes were burning into her face without fear of her "heaven blast" or cursing and insulting looks. "My ears are good. I'm half dog demon remember, I know what I heard, Yashira." 

The use of her name on his lips caught her off guard again. She'd never heard of another hanyou out there who had rational enough thinking process to be actually… thoughtful. "I am a miko, Inuyasha… I was raise as such and I _look_ as such," she ran her fingers through damp black hair, forcing him to take another look at her to remind him of how human she appeared. 

"Yes, you do _look_ it." His words trailed off ominously as he tested the red pants he had left drying by the fire. Finding them damp instead of soaking wet he quickly turned away to put them on. Handing Yashira's black skirt back to her, Inuyasha found to his disbelieving surprise that his anger towards this annoying woman was as damp as his clothing. 

What was this feeling he felt when he looked over at her huddled form. Pity? Sympathy? Sorrow? If he was right in his thinking, and she was a hanyou as Naraku had insinuated then she was worse off then he was. While demons hated hanyous and saw them as inferiors with polluted blood, they absolutely despised those with the power to purify and control them.. namely mikos. Yashira… miko and hanyou? That would mean she was stuck in two worlds of abomination instead of one. And yet… how was it possible? How could she look so human and smell so human if she was hanyou?

He dropped down beside her again, his fingers reaching for a burning stick in which to stir the slowly dying flames back to some form of life. "It must be hell for you."

Those words caught her heart so abruptly that it skipped a beat and got swallowed by her throat. If he had said anything else, anything that would have accused Yashira for what she was, she would have raised the "Heaven Blast," within mere seconds, but these words… she hadn't expected to hear the sympathy in them… an understanding that no one else could appreciate except another hanyou. "As it is for you."

He nodded and crossed his arms, glancing a bit to where Kagome could still be heard, if not seen, splashing around for the last of the nuts and berries. "How are you keeping yourself so _human? _If you're hanyou you must be given to the same changing off the moon… the same seasons.. the same-" Inuyasha's reason for asking were simple enough. If she had a trick for staying human, what if there was one for becoming full youkai?!

"We don't need to discuss that then, since you being Hanyou should already know such things…"

Inuyasha stared at her knowing that she was obviously not telling him the entire truth of the matter. "Look…"

She spun around, her fingers preparing the Heaven Blast and Inuyasha's eyes went wide, "I thought you said you weren't going to use that attack?"

The blast struck the tree behind him with a resounding thud and crackle as Inuyasha let out a heavy furious oath. "He's back isn't he."

"Yes he is," Yashira growled furiously as she leapt to her feet in seconds.

Inuyasha was scouring the spaces between the trees with quick scattering looks, finding nothing within sight, but clearly seeing with smell. Who ever this youkai was, he was still near by. "It dies here."

"Yes, watch this," She stuck both her pale hands out as her brows furrowed together. "HEAVEN ASCENSION BLAST!!!"

Inuyasha peered and then blink with the look of a man surprised on his birthday by friends he had thought forgotten. Out of the tree Yashira had aimed at, a tall man with long black braided hair, melted forward, leaping and jumping into a nearby tree in which he quickly merged into. 

"WHAT THE HELL!" Inuyasha's gold eyes narrowed on the tree the figure had disappeared into as he pulled Tetsusaiga out with a familiar curse on his lips. "Well, we can handle this."

Yashira tucked up her sleeves as she nodded curtly. "I'll blast, you cut?"

Inuyasha shook his head with agreement. "Okay, sounds like a plan."

"Heaven Ascension Blast!"

"Kaze no Ki~"

"OSUWARI!"

"GAH!!" Smashing into the ground headfirst Inuyasha let out a furious curse while Kagome dropped the nuts and berries she carried. "I can't believe the two of you are serious! You're scaring the hell out of the poor guy… who ever he is!"

"Scaring the hell out of him?" The incredibility in Yashira's voice bellied the repeating curse that was issuing from Inuyasha as he lay sprawl on the ground:

"He's a half-naked freak, how can we scared the hell out of him?" 

Glancing to where the young man stood posed to enter the next tree, Kagome just blinked with what looked like utter annoyance. "You two… it's so scary you are so much alike."

***

"Who are you?" That was the first question Kagome asked the black-haired stranger who sat on the remains of the tree Yashira had knocked down with her Heaven Blast. The second question went along the lines of: "You're the one following us all this time aren't you?"

Inuyasha and Yashira sat together; a shining accomplishment regarding the short time they had known and despised each other. Both of them muttered angrily to the other as if Kagome had been some referee who had denied them their rightful goal. "Understatement." Yashira murmured as Inuyasha growled with what seemed like resentment at being "osuwari" in the middle of a _much needed _demon extermination.

At first the young man did not reply, but sat mutely staring at the three onlookers as if he were contemplating running into another tree. His silence earned him a stinging insult from Inuyasha who sat bare-chested with arms clenched over his chest. "Just great, a perverted demon who is dumb and mute."

Green eyes fell over Inuyasha with puzzlement at his affronted nature, but they did not linger long on him as they drew quickly towards Yashira who plainly glared back at him. His voice was smooth, soft like sunlight coming in through summer branches and the play of water dropping down from a snow melting brook, as he answered Kagome, "I am Yajuumaru. Of the Whispering Forest."

"Well Yajuumaru, naked freak of forest, she asked you why you were following us." 

"Inuyasha, don't be rude," Kagome looked apologetically at Yajuumaru as she spoke. "Sorry, he's like that at times."

"I was following her," Yajuumaru's gaze was rooted to Yashira with what looked like admiration and delight, and quite possibly both.

"Me?" Yashira's blue eyes fell on Yajuumaru with what looked to be the disgust she had usually saved for Inuyasha.

"Why her?" Inuyasha shifted from his spot, testing the dampness in his shirt and haori, as he frowned at the black-haired youkai. Aside from the long slender pointy ears and the black fuzzy wolf tail that curled up on the other side of the log, Yajuumaru looked almost human. His black hair braided to his waist and the tan coloured fundoshi he wore that revealed more tanned and weather skin definitely would have made him look more _human._

"As soon as I saw her, I knew I belonged with her. I follow her," he seemed almost embarrassed at voicing these feelings with words as he glanced down at the withering fire that flickered in makeshift campsite. 

Kagome's brown eyes blinked in unison with Inuyasha and Yashira in one, two, no three rapid blinks. "Belong to her?"

"There's no way in hell I'll believe that," Yashira snarled furiously as she flexed fingers about to summon the Heaven Blast.

Yajuumaru stared at her, green eyes watching her with a patience only the old redwood trees could muster, "But it is true. You awake the old sap that was in me. Mother said I would know my mate when the sap changes… I did not know how right she was until I saw you bathing. "

"I knew it another pervert! Like Miroku wasn't enough."

Yashira wore what looked like the classic strangle pose as Kagome's eyes fluttered with surprise at Inuyasha's words. The only reason Yashira didn't manage to get her hands around Yajuumaru's throat was Kagome's quick thinking to get in front of her and grab one of her arms. "No, arguing we don't have time for that. Speaking of Miroku, don't you remember that he's the reason we came here! The Aventos, remember."

Yashira stopped struggling at Kagome's words although she managed to spit out venomous, "There's no way in hell that youkai is my mate… I'll kill him first!"

"Did you say Aventos?" That surprise tone came from Yajuumaru.


	12. Chapter 11

October 22, 2002

(Author's Note: I hold no rights to any of the Inuyasha characters, however all rights to original characters are mine. Yashira™. And Yajuumaru™ belongs to Leloi.)

Sister, Sister

By Yashira

Chapter 11

The tree they stood beneath had spread out a multious array of branches that networked against the backdrop of the dawning sky like a caged skeleton of a huge umbrella. It reminded Kagome of the tall redwoods she saw in her geography texts which grew in California. The only difference though, aside from the brown mottle colouring of the tree, was the size of the trunk. Probably no bigger than three people touching hands around the trunk, Kagome wondered how it still maintained its overly aggressive height. Had she been sitting at the apex of the most highest branch she would not have been able to see herself or the group that stood below… so how could this tree exist without once toppling over?

"It's too high to jump," Inuyasha muttered with a sour-eyed glance to the distant over-hanging branches. "Even if I tried jumping off the tops of these other trees, it still wouldn't be enough leeway to catch the _lowest_ branches." Golden eyes glared accusingly overhead before shifting reproachedly at Yashira. "Besides I thought the Averos was suppose to grow at the base…"

"Well," Yashira began with a dismissive wave of her hands. "This isn't Musashi and I've never seen a tree like this before. If you look up, way up at the branches, you'll notice there are flowers growing and other sort of herbs…"

Kagome, who stood near Yashira, blinked up at the distant branches with amazement in her eyes. "I… I think you're right, but your eyes are sharper than mine, but it's incredible if it's true. "

Letting out a sigh as if the sight had bored her, Yashira added intentionally, "The Averios is up there... I see white petals." 

"Alright, we can save Miroku!" Kagome's tone was encased with relief and ease as she tried to pinpoint the spot Yashira saw the Averios. "Let's hurry and get some."

There was a sort of sadness attached to Yajuumaru's emerald coloured eyes as he gazed up at the tall tree. "This is my mother." In the shadows cast by the tree his tanned skin seemed even darker and his hair shone almost ebony. "After my father disappeared and I grew up, she rooted into this." He fondly placed a hand against the black-brown bark as a soft look came into his eyes. "She has been here a very long time… before my father… before many things…"

Inuyasha was unconsciously fingering the hilt of Tessaiga as he cast golden eyes on Yajuumaru and the tree. "I guess cutting it down would be out of the question then?"

"You ain't cutting down my momma!" Yajuumaru spun immediately around and for the first time since presenting that calm and serene face, his lips formed an over protective snarl revealing small, but sharp incisors. His wolf tail twitched uneasily and the look in his green eyes was completely fierce and aggressive.

"Inuyasha," Kagome was beside him in a mere moment as her hand held down his sword arm. "There's no need to cut down this beautiful tree. There has to be another way."

"Feh, fine… I could climb up it." Yet, as he flexed his sharp claws, there was another low warning growl which issued from Yajuumaru's throat. Irritated, Inuyasha glanced over at Yajuumaru with much the same narrowing of eyes he usually used on another wolf demon who annoyed the hell out of him. "Look pal, can you name another way up there."

"I'll do it," Yashira interrupted as if her words were a given order, "You two are taking too long."

Swiftly so that neither Inuyasha nor Yashira could touch the tree Yajuumaru let out a guttural, "NO," as sidestepped in front of them

With the same look of annoyance that fell into Inuyasha's face, Yashira let out a frustrated sigh, "Well wolfy, you are going to have to decide two things. You either be the tree demon you think you are and stand guard over your mother, at which point I'll have to seal the hell out of you with my miko attacks... or take the side of your wolf demon and go running with your tail between your legs."

"Yashira, don't say it like that." Kagome was used to dealing with Inuyasha's dislike of wolves and was surprised to find Yashira seemed to have the same regard as well.

"I can say it as much as I like. Wolves are just cowards." Aside from her normal monotonous tone that always boarded on sneering her nose at youkai, there was actual dislike etched in as well.

"And wimpy."

Kagome spun and gave him an astonished look. "Inuyasha, not you too."

"I don't know what you have against wolves," Yajuumaru replied with more energy than before, "but I'm part tree demon and both parts of me are not going to let you cut down my mother." Glancing back at his own tail, Yajuumaru revealed more of his long slender pointy ears. Idly he scratched the back of his head, "My father was a ronin wolf, my mother tells me that much. They met and mated on this spot where she conceived and bore me."

Yashira and Inuyasha both had that instant horrified look of, "Too much unasked information." 

"Yajuumaru," Kagome lifted her fingers in a gesture of peace, "No one will cut down your mother or climb it against your will, but we really need the Averios up there. One of our friends is very sick. He will die if we don't get those leaves. Can you think of a way that we can get that plant?"

"Come on, I can't believe your asking this half breed about another man's life," Yashira muttered angrily. "Your friend is going to die."

Kagome lifted her face, her brown eyes crystal clear and sharp as she shouted back, "That's the problem… we can't take one life for another!" Realizing she'd just shouted at the miko, she swallowed uneasily and glanced to the side. "We can't… even Miroku would understand that."

Inuyasha kicked at a clump of dirt as he added in frustration. "I can't believe we have to condemn Miroku to such a short life… this guy's mother isn't even running about."

"Inuyasha!"

Yajuumaru flicked his long black braid behind his shoulders and touched the bark of the tree gingerly, "Mom, can you bring me some leaves from the Averios?" There seemed to be no moment or echoing reply from the wood as Yajuumaru glanced over at the three of them. "I'll give you the leaves you need, as long as you don't hurt my mother."

Already annoyed with the situation Inuyasha glowered. "We get the fucking picture already. So where are the leaves?!"

Kagome touched Yajuumaru's arm softly. "Can you really get us leaves?"

As Yajuumaru drew his fingers back from the bark, several leaves emerged and clung to his fingers, "How many do you need?"

***

There were at least 12 petals she counted not including 2 odd looking pods which were probably seeds, some roots and even stems. Kagome wasn't exactly sure if what Kaede needed was the actual root of the plant or the stem, but with the whole kit and caboodle she felt they were generally covered. "Thank you very much Yajuumaru."

Back to being his civil and pleasant self, Yajuumaru returned a congenial looking smile to Kagome. "You're very much welcome." Yashira and Inuyasha had taken to arguing again over very trivial matters and Yajuumaru glanced over at the black hair girl with interest. "Is she always like that…. So angry and confrontational?"

Kagome glanced over at Inuyasha with much the same look Yajuu had for Yashira, "If she's anything like Inuyasha, yeah." They watched as Inuyasha threaten to pull out Tessaiga and as Yashira threatened to call on her heaven blast. "Say, Yajuumaru, you said your mother is this tree, but that your father was a ronin wolf, right?"

He nodded in the affirmative.   


"I just find that amazing. A friend of mine once said that a wolf hanyou disappeared into this place about 200 years ago. Masaka, you're not completely demon either, you must have some human blood in you."

"Is that wrong?" He had noticed earlier the contempt Yashira seemed to have for him and he wondered if it had to do with this little fact about his heritage.

Kagome shook her head quickly. "For most people they'd like you to think it's wrong, but I don't. It just makes you more interesting."

"Interesting, eh?" He let his eyes wash over where Yashira and Inuyasha were, seemingly at a truce at the moment, if you could count him swearing and her looking pointedly annoyed a truce. "I wonder how much more interesting I have to be to catch her attention."

**

Yajuumaru's green eyes, so bright and deep like the flickering forest life around him, stared at the group with barely concealed apprehension. "You aren't leaving… are you? You just got here." The events with nearly cutting down his mother, and nearly getting blown by the Heaven blast AND, not to mention, nearly gutted with Tessaiga were moments gone in the wind. What was important, what mattered, was the here and now which suddenly consisted of being separated from them… and more importantly... being separated from Yashira.

Kagome fixed him with a soft almost pitiful look. "We have to. I'm sorry, but when we came it was to find this plant to save our friend's life." Kagome's hands tighten on the makeshift bag that housed the recently plucked leaves, roots and seeds. "If we linger too long, he will die." 

"But you just got here…" 

Yashira was standing by a tree that had a sort of vague bluriness about it. In her "fight" with Inuyasha the two of them had accidentally discovered the portal back when several of their attacks went through and disappeared. Her eyes seemed to shimmer to a twisted shaded of blue as she fingered the simple "acorn" at the root of her necklace. "There's no buts and ifs about this, we're going back." Her tone was cold as she glared over at tree-demon's face… her gaze turned exceedingly chilly when he stared her down with equal intensity. 

"But if you go you won't be able to come back." He almost sounded like some lost frighten child fearing abandon.

"And the point being?" There was no kindness in her voice as Yashira regarded him with eyes 100 times sharper than ragged ice. "We don't plan to ever come back here."

"Yashira…" Inuyasha's tone had a sort of reproach to it as he glanced between cold hearted Miko and broken heart demon. While he held no love for wolves and the like, he also didn't have much respect towards her current attitude either. Even a complete idiot could see that Yajuumaru had eyes for her.

Squaring her shoulders and tossing her head as if she really didn't care, Yashira ducked towards the portal, disappearing through it without another word. And there it was, the cold disgust, the loathing hatred of youkai and that closing of hearts. What closeness she had begun to show towards Inuyasha and Kagome disappeared in a blink of an eye. 

Inuyasha scowled and stormed off to the "exit" as he stuck his hand out to Kagome, "We better go then, no point letting Miroku suffer anymore."

"Yeah…" Kagome glanced over to where Yajuumaru watched them, rooted in some sort of mind-numbing paralysis. The poor guy seemed so forlorn that it touched at her heart strings. "Good bye Yajuumaru… I'm very sorry about her…" 

"…"

***

"What was in that broth?" Miroku's pale struggling face with near fragile violet eyes looked up and over at Kaede as Sango with a look of surprise. Sango was squeezed his hand with joy in her brown eyes. "What's wrong Sango? Too close to the onion soup again?" 

She was too happy to see him awake and alive to think of a witty reply as she drew her fingers against his forehead and smoothed back his black hair. "You're okay… Erk?"

As Kagome looked at the remaining leaves in the makeshift pouch, before she handed them over to Kaede for safe keeping, she chuckled and pointed wryly to where Miroku attempted his five finger touch. "Looks like he's better…"

"Seems so," Kaede replied with a relieved chuckle as the two of them watched Sango beat the hell out of the now recovering man.

* * * 

Within the gloom of the night the two of them sat by the old bone gobbling well for what seemed like eons saying nothing in silence. Inuyasha was still trying to sort through the events of the last two days, or hours, or…. This changing of time, night and day, day and night, was confusing like hell and it had sent the rhythm of his body out of whack. He was exhausted and he wanted to rest, but until Yashira passed out from exhaustion first he would show no similar weakness. 

Yashira sat on one side, glancing over at the darkness of the surrounding wood as if she could defy any physical exertion by will alone, as Inuyasha leaned back and watched the soft pattering of the stars above. Eventually he spoke in a low, gruff tone, "You know, he seemed … to like you… amazing though it seems…" 

Yashira's blue eyes frown at him as she flexed her fingers as if to call on the Heaven Blast. "How would you like to be purified?"

Inuyasha almost flinched, but he managed to retain his cool. "You know you can't purify me…" She was almost as touchy about some matters as he was.

"Oh?" She sat up and turned, her fingers reaching across the well for his shoulder. "You seem to think you can underestimate me. From what I've heard about Kikyo she only was capable of sealing you, but I'm NOT Kikyo... I'm capable of much more. I can destroy your youkai side at any time…" 

There was a yelp of pain as Inuyasha turned too late as Yashira's fingers burned into both haori and skin. Inuyasha's face contorted in a spasm of vicious pain as a wave of energy stabbed through his entire arm. Barely jerking back from her, he stumbled away from the well with a hard edged look in his voice and brown angry eyes. "You bitch what the hell were you…" He stopped abruptly, staring oddly at his left hand as if he could not believe what had happened to his changed fingers. The nails were short, small and clearly human. Scrambling to check his other hand he saw the same thing… he was human!

"Oh don't worry it's not permanent," she replied carelessly as if suggesting she could do otherwise, but not wishing to do so at the moment. As if to emphasis her words, the change she had worked on his body started to slip back into the very hanyou Inuyasha was. Brown eyes were blending back to gold as his black hair shifted from black to white.

However, with his demon eyes returning, Inuyasha could see the very sweat that lined her neck and he could see that she had grown pale… and there was a familiar smell coming from her. Not the human smell, but more like the demonic smell he could distinguish in other youkai… and yet hers seemed even more familiar. Her eyes were still blue and yet the shape of the pupils seemed to change to slits as her black raven hair blended to a gray of gray. 

"It's not permanent you bitch," and there was a fury of emotion in his voice as he growled at her, "Because you can't maintain enough of it to keep yourself from changing back to your hanyou self." How much, did he suddenly realize, had she been holding back? How much before the weight of this illusion broke down and… The starlight glinted off something that rested against her bosom and Inuyasha made a quick choice that would have many repercussions later. He dashed for her breasts. 

Mistaking Inuyasha's intention for some sort of retaliation, Yashira lifted up hands to call the Heaven Blast, but he was over her shoulders and landing carefully to the side with something shining in his hands before she could act. "A ward on your own body… Why didn't I see this before…" Within his very fingers, instead of what she usually wore around her neck, was the acorn shaped pendant.

"Give it back to me, you bastard…" She growled at him, blue eyes turning gold and honeylike his own as she tried to use the Heaven Ascension. Nothing happened. Without her human form, that form of power would not come. "GIVE IT BACK!" 

Inuyasha stuck his tongue at her as he waved the pendant like a bully stealing homework. Silver white hair had replaced the black, gold eyes like his covered the blue and two perfect dog ears had winked out from the side of her head. It was enough to make him stop the ludicrous dance he was doing with her pendant. "Just that the hell are you? You look like m-"

"I can answer that my "dear" brother." And Sesshomaru's voice was haughty and cold as he appeared through a rent in the woods. "You're seeing the face of your late sister."


	13. Chapter 12

December 15, 2002

(Yajuu is a character originally created by Leloi, while Yashira is a character created by me.)

By Yashira

Chapter 12

"Late? Sister?" To say Inuyasha was stunned was to say that a mosquito hit repeatedly with a bat was lightly grazed. The amount of shock covering Inuyasha's face could have repainted a house the height of the Goshinboku 50x over. "Look, what kind of trick are you up to now, Sesshomaru? She's not… our sister?"

Vicious growling rebounded from Yashira's throat as she bared half open lips, showing razor-sharp fangs, in the direction where Sesshomaru stood. "I'm no one sister," she bit back as her honey-amber eyes went livid with rage over such an insinuation. "And I remember you from before… This time I'm going to seal and purify so you don't come back again!"

Sesshomaru was smiling though his amber gaze was harsh, and yet there was no mistaking the aloofness held tight along the quirk of his lips. "I would not think so... my `late` sister. You may be older than Inuyasha, but you are centuries beneath me. I will finish off the job that witless Miko did not. I am also going to remove you at the same time, Inuyasha! There will no longer be another insult on my father's line!" Throwing out long pale fingers from his right hand a bright green burst of light appeared. "Taste my Poison Flower Claw!!"

Dog ears twitched in unison as both Yashira and Inuyasha drew back instinctively. "USE Your DAMN attack which you're always too happy to use on me!!!" Inuyasha screamed at her as he dove to the left while she split off to the right. He slid to stop a good distant away as gold eyes narrowed on her.

"Give me my necklace first," she shouted back as she watched the grass and plants dissolve into ugly piles of goo which sent off repulsive smelling steam. In this form, her nose was just as sensitive as Inuyasha's and that meant she was prone to the same weakness he had. "I can't attack like that in this form! It's too dangerous for me as a hanyou…" Sweat drops danced along her face and throat, glistening against her milk white skin as if she had done a 10 mile lap in 5 minutes. This was the first time that she had abandoned her usual aloof and high and mighty attitude for one more humble and down to earth. 

"Why?" But the answer came to him before he could stop the question leaving his lips. All her attacks, all her power, came when she was in her human form. Without this object, this simple looking acorn on a string, she couldn't hold onto her Miko form long enough to cast such a spell. It was her focus and that meant it must have intensified and acted as a center point for her latent Miko power. Briefly, he felt a new wave of awe creep into him. She really had to be strong in order to use so much power and not shift back. "Fine, then get out of my way.." There was a tell-tale ringing sound as he drew Tessusaiga out. "We'll deal with this sister mess later, right now I'm going to teach Sesshomaru a lesson!!"

Sesshomaru only smiled and drew his hand back, forming the ivy green whip which he effortlessly flung in Inuyasha's direction, "Big words, but you always spout big words."

"SHUT UP!" Leaping to attack his brother, Tessusaiga raised clearly in the air, Inuyasha flew towards him as he managed to miss most of the direct frontal attacks from Sesshomaru.

"Don't make me laugh... I can't believe you're still attacking me with this petty attack." Dancing nimbly away from Inuyasha with amazing speed, Sesshomaru dashed around his half-brother and raced towards his intended target. Yashira. 

White hair flew out behind him as he caught her brutally by the throat and slammed her into none other than the Goshinboku. Pieces of wood splintered off as she let out a sharp cry of pain when his claws dug into her throat drawing blood. "Even in this form you look too much like your mother…" There was a raspy quality to his voice as if, even now, there was something else he hadn't come to terms with. "No one else should ever have her form."

Yashira stared back at him, gold eyes looking into her half-brother's obsessed one with a sort of deceiving calmness in her features. It was almost like that time Inuyasha had knocked her down and she had felt the call of her more wild-side echoing through as if trying to take over. It was like that now. It was as if her heart was about to twitch and allow a new unwelcome stirring to take over. To go completely wild would extend beyond her own control….

…if she went completely wild she would lose herself and then no force under God's Earth could stop her.

"Whaaat?" Inuyasha blinked, stunned that he'd been so slow to react to Sesshomaru's otherwise quick movements. How could… and then he looked down at his hands that still gripped Yashira's necklace. Long fine demon nails had shrunk to normal looking human ones and the silver strands of his hair were melting from white to black. No! That necklace was changing him to human! He threw it to the ground, but it was too late. He was too slow as he started to run to her. "No, you son of a bitch, leave her alone!! God, help you if you harm her!"

"Good bye little sister…" Sesshomaru's hands tighten drastically, intending to not only choke her, but to crush her windpipe at the same time as Yashira's eyes shut for the intended stroke.

Goshinboku curved inwardly almost as if the blow from Sesshomaru, when he had slammed Yashira against the tree, had been like an axe to a thin blade of paper. Yashira was tugged and jerked from the dog demon's grip and thrown to safety where Inuyasha stood watching with wide disbelieving eyes. Even Sesshomaru wore a coloured look of disbelief as he watched his prey move out of sight. The tree had literally ripped her away from his hands and had thrown her away. That was… impossible. Since when could trees move?! "What matter of…" 

A pair of green eyes flashed at Sesshomaru as a face emerged and began to take on form outside of the Goshinboku. Although the furious face now wore a venomous and violent look there was no mistaking who it was. Inuyasha, sword tightly clutched in hand, as he helped Yashira to her feet, stared at the body which slid so effortlessly out of the tree like a woman slipping free of an untied kimono. "Yajuumaru?"

"Harming her, means you harm me…" Yajuumaru snarled, fangs glistening sharp in the silver starlight as he stepped forward allowing his body to form completely, including loin cloth, outside of the tree.

Sesshomaru's honey-amber gaze glared at the Treelord as he spoke with words drown in disgust, "I can deal with you later, but I have a mistake to erase first…"

"No," and Yajuumaru tanned hand caught held Sesshomaru's pale one with nearly no effort at all. The movement itself had been a swift blur that none of the watchers had seen it in action.

"Holy shit!" Inuyasha was gaping as Yashira stood awkwardly beside him, her hands holding her pendant carefully, as she watched with wary eyes.

"You will not touch her," Yajuumaru intoned again, his voice darkening as his eyes narrowed to pin-pricks. "She is under MY protection."

"You do not scare me, tree demon," Sesshomaru's hands conjured up the poison flower attack, determined to melt Yajuu's hand or to, at the very least, drive him back, but Yajuumaru did not draw back. He stubbornly held his ground. "Either you don't feel the pain or you are very stupid to court death… either way… Die!" Perhaps Yajummaru would have yet came out on top or perhaps Sesshomaru would have ended up destroying the Treelord's grip, including his hand, but that answer was not with them today.

A furious blue white light shone and shot forth as Yashira's voice rang clear in the air, "Heaven Ascension Blast!!!" The two youkai leapt apart, one going forward, the other back, as the bright dazzling light sped between them, narrowing missing.

Sesshomaru turned accusing eyes to where Yashira stood, but she outstared him with a gaze that was both rigid and hard. She had gotten back her Miko composure so that her blue eyes were as hard as ice, and her hair as black as night and all the while her hands prepared for another Heaven blast. Directly beside her Inuyasha, with Tessusaiga raised, was growling and glaring at him with the same sort of rage he usually held for Sesshomaru. It was almost something to laugh over, watching his two hanyou siblings staring at him like that. They could almost form one person each, the two of them. One human and one Demon… almost. 

Then he heard the movement from the last demon, the Treelord, as he stalked nearby and that settled Sesshomaru's mind. "I see I have overstayed my time. I will deal with you all next time…" Drawing back swiftly, his movement were fluent like flowing spring water, that it hardly looked as if Sesshomaru were running away. "Especially you Yashira… I won't forget about you." Disappearing between the trees, Sesshomaru let his chuckle drift in the air so that he was gone way before his laugher ended.

"There will not be a next time," Yajuumaru growled, his fist clenching tightly, as he watched the white haired demon go, "You touch my mate and I will kill you next time."

* * *

As his hair drifted back to white, Inuyasha stared at Yajuumaru with not so quite hanyou eyes at the moment. Between a blend of brown and gold, his eyes traced the treelord's movements and projected trajectory easily. He was headed towards Yashira. "Are you alright, Sesshomaru packs a nasty poison?"

And yet it was as if he wasn't there for Yajuumaru passed by the concerned hanyou to stop directly in front of Yashira who was massaging her bruised throat. Green eyes were filled with concern as they settled on the face of girl whose black hair was pooling around her shoulders in raven waves. "Are you alright, Yashira?" With the threat gone, Yajuumaru resembled a baby kitten with needy luminous eyes seeking attention and devotion from the one he adored.

For the very first time since she had met him, Yashira was embarrassed to look him in the eye. She had been nothing, but aloof and cold with him, going so far as to insult him and his heritage, and yet knowing what she did about the portal he must have used to get to her… it made her quiet… almost meek. Softly she murmured, "Yeah… I guess."

Inuyasha shoved his sword into his sheath before looking at her carefully. In her Miko form, or human one, she looked different, but the similarities they shared in hanyou form were too pronounced not to be coincidental. "My … onesama eh? Looking at you now, if I run traces of my, our, mother over you… I can see it….although it's still hard to…" He shook his head as if he couldn't still believe it. "Are you okay? Don't take it too personally he wants me dead too." Glancing at Yajuu he added in a thoughtful tone, "I thought you weren't coming."

Finally acknowledging the hanyou, Yajuu gave Inuyasha such a look that he blinked in surprise. "I couldn't live without her."

Yashira took a deep breath that suggested she had just made up her mind over something. "I don't need you, go away…" Her tone was harsh and yet her eyes refused to look at Yajuumaru, shaded as they were by a rim of black bangs.

"Yashira, Yajuumaru saved your life…" It was the first time that Inuyasha actually was reprimanding someone and not being reprimanded instead.

"Life?" There was such a tone of disgust in her voice that it made those standing near flinch. "You call this a life…" She jerked off the pendant, allowing it to drop to the ground, as her transformation flashed again. Black hair to shimmering white, blue pupils to cat slits of amber as sharp fangs peeked out between her lips. She flexed claws at them. "This is not a life… you should know that most of all." Her amber eyes were flashing something furious as her fists shook with pent up raged.

"It's what I have," Inuyasha replied softly as he fixed her with such a serious look that made her flushed and draw back with a start. "But I've accepted that… you haven't it seems…"

"What is that suppose to mean?" But as she stared at him, looking at his determined gaze, she realized he didn't have to answer her. Inuyasha didn't mind what he was. Sure it must have bothered him from time to time, but on the whole he didn't mind. The revelation shocked her.

"It means what it's suppose to mean," he drew back from Yashira as he glanced over at ever patience Yajuumaru. "Your feelings must really be that strong. Good luck with her then, you'll need it. Now if you'll excuse me. I'm going back to check up on Miroku and Kagome…"

As Inuyasha moved quickly out of earshot, Yashira stood there watching him leave with a grim expression pursued on her lips. Too much to process… too much to deal with… A brother… or brothers she did not know and a Treelord who, still knowing what she was like, had followed after her anyway. And to top it off, that brother who had tried to kill her, Sesshomaru, had spoken of a Miko who should have killed her? Had he spoken of Mikada then? Perhaps it was time to pay a final visit to Mikada and discover the real truth about her heritage. Scooping up her amulet so that the change drew over her once more, she started forward. 

Pausing only once, she said softly, without glancing back at him, "Don't follow me."

"I am not." He replied innocently although as soon as Yashira had taken another step or so, he trailed after her again.

"You are so…" This time she turned and glared back at him, blue eyes fixing on his green ones.

"I am not," he replied again, this time adding a taste of sincerely which was marred by the fact that he continued on in her direction.

Yashira stopped, turned and jabbed a finger at him, "Damn it, you are too!!!" They sounded like little kids, although they played a much grown up version of the game.

He shrugged and raised his hands up. "Can I help it if you're travelling in the same direction I am?"

"Same direction, eh?" She turned to move the opposite way, but he adjusted his course to follow her and that drew an angry growl from her. him. "Arrgh!! Stop following me or I'll blast you!"

"Look," he replied with a gesture of his hand placed over his heart, "whatever your destination is… that will be mine too. I can't help that. I came over to be with you…"

Running a hand through her loose raven hair Yashira let out an exasperated breath, "You just can't do that!"

"What's wrong with that?" Confused green eyes stared back at her, demanding an answer.

"You want a list?"

He gave an imposing nod. "Yes."

"You're a youkai." That much was clearly obvious with the long slender and elf-like ears, the huge bushy black tail and the sharpness that made up the colour of his emerald green eyes. Claw and fangs were secondary.

He rolled his eyes as if that were nothing, "So are you.."

"I am not."

"Yes you are," he pointed to her necklace she still held in her arms, "What to prove you aren't?"

"Grr, fine. You're half naked." Yashira counted as she gestured to his rugged muscular body whose lower half was covered by the bare minimum of a loin cloth.

Yajuumaru drew his lips together thoughtfully. "Well, I can fix that." He shut his eyes a moment as he murmured in a low voice. It was with a flash of surprise that Yashira watched a man's kimono of gold form over his body, covering his legs, thighs, chest and arms with extravagant looking folds of fabric. Burgundy highlights trailed over his clothing in twisting patterns and with such an intricate design, she wondered how he had managed it. He turned to her and waited a moment, gesturing a moment later for her opinion when she still hadn't provided it.

Blinking with disbelief, Yashira stumbled over something to say, "Your tail."

"My tail…" He looked thoughtful, glancing over at the long bushy wolf tail that wagged behind him before nodding his head in acquiescence. "Done." Like the clothing a moment before had come into existence, so too did the tail fade out of it. "Okay, how's that?"

Yashira blinked at him and stared with what was quite obviously disbelief. Not only had he followed after her, but he could alter his form too. He looked almost human… and actually quite handsome. "Could you do something about your ears." Her tone sounded less distant this time as if a little bit by little bit, his attention drew her out of her shell. 

As she asked, Yajuumaru shortened them for her until his ears looked human. "Anything else?" He was met with a blue eyed stare. Unused to having her so quiet and regarding him with an almost pleased expression than the hating disgusting eyes, he was unsure how to continue. "Well?"

That seemed to snap her attention and Yashira said one last thing "I make all the decisions." She said the last though with a half hearted attempt to turn away his attention… How did she get into this kind of situation? Well, a small voice told her, he followed you… you were doomed from that point on.

"Okay! Is that it," he beamed at her and would have wagged his tail, had he still been with his tail, when she eventually nodded. "So now where are we going?" He winced a little when he gestured with his sore hand, as Yashira replied softly;

"To an old _friend_."

"Old friend?" He looked confused, but there was an even more startled look on his face when she took his hand and trailed soft fingers over the burnt mark. "Yashira?"

"Let me treat it," she replied softly, her voice actually soft and gentle, as she lead him in the direction that would take them to a river, "I can do a little healing."

Not being one to say no, especially to the one he adored, Yajuumaru nodded. He would do anything she asked him, didn't she realize that. Anything…

Because he loved her.

* * *

Naraku chuckled softly as his cold eyes trailed over Necoa trembling form. "Do you like failing me?"

She looked worried as she stood before his dark haired form. Her crisp red hair curling around her throat, much the ways her fingers nervously rubbed against each other, Necoa looked and felt frightened. Like the proverbial cat with 9 lives, she felt she only had one left. "No, Naraku…"

"I wish I could believe that… I set the trap, but you keep failing to spring it properly for me." He seemed bored, even wearied as he paced by Kanna who sat there emotionless with the mirror draped over her lap.

"It was that dreaded monk, he took in the hell wasps…" She dropped to her knees and bowed her head as the mood in the room seemed to take on a nasty air. All her nerves were screaming to run away, but like Kagura, her older sister, it would be impossible to do so.

"And yet he hasn't died… don't you find that odd?" 

"How can you know that…" And then she paused as she stared over at Kanna and the realization hit.

"Ah, I see you understand me now." He smiled at her, aloof and cold as if he were made of glacier ice.

"What are you going to do with me?" She could already feel the entangle vines of previous youkai slip out from Naraku's body to snaked out and wrapped themselves over her hands and legs.

"What I should have done before…" Now the smile turned into a wry grin as Naraku flashed teeth at her.

"No! Please don't!" She struggled against him as he drew her towards him, "Don't take me in like you did Musou, please!!"

"Sorry my dear… your usefulness is at an end it seems. All I can rely on is Yashira… she owes me… after all I saved her life."


	14. Chapter 13

September 26/30, 2003

(Author's Note: Once more Yajuumaru™ © belongs to Leloi and Yashira™© belongs to me. I want to thank Aile Anna for beta reading this and finding problems in text and for Lel for allowing me to use her pet Bishounen and making sure he was in character.)

Sister, Sister

By Yashira

Chapter 13

"Inuyasha? Is she really your sister?" Kagome's voice, with that sparkling quality of sweetness, still sounded a tad confused. She stared at Inuyasha, with huge brown eyes, as if expecting a multitude of angry curses to suddenly derail themselves from his tightly pursed lips. He'd met her on his way back from the well with this convoluted tale of Yashira being his full-blooded sister whose hanyou self was sealed up by an acorn talisman. It just seemed so impossible to believe that a miko could be a hanyou too. One would think the two powers would cancel out each other. "I just mean-"

"I don't know how it is either, except the nose doesn't lie." Even in the evening air, with the stars twinkling down, Kagome watched Inuyasha tap his nose to remind her of his canine scent. "And Sesshoumaru tried to kill her. I can't forget that, Kagome. He recognizes her as being _my_ sister, as being _our_ sister." There was a heaviness to his voice which spoke of Inuyasha's grudging acceptance of a woman he had wanted to continue to hate, but couldn't. 

"It does explain why the two of you can sometimes get along so well, and then suddenly want to kill each other. Is your whole family like this? Do you have any more sisters or brothers we should know about?" Although she said the last as if to playfully tease a laugh from him, Inuyasha's frustrated groan warned her to watch her tongue.

"There was only me and Sesshomaru, until now, Kagome. I would know if I had any little brothers and sisters running around. It's the ones that came before - like her - that surprise me. She's older than I am." With another deep groan, Inuyasha stopped and crossed his arms, his hands hidden within the crimson red of his haori's sleeves. "Kagome, she also knew Kikyou. Remember that conversation at Kaede's hut before Miroku became ill?"

Kagome swallowed the startled gasp, which threaten to escape her at that reminder. That was right. Yashira knew Kikyou just like Inuyasha. Misunderstanding the reason Inuyasha had brought it up, Kagome blurted out her words without thinking. "But if you didn't know she was your sister, how would Kikyou know?"

"It's not really that." A trembling sigh wedged free from his mouth as he fixed Kagome with stern, golden eyes. "I just find it… as I found it then, surprising that they knew each other."

"Kikyou knows everyone," Kagome's voice tasted of bitterness at the remark and it brought Inuyasha's questioning gaze immediately upon her. Stuttering as if to fend off that deep searching look of his, Kagome started to talk fast. "It's just that she did so much and she traveled a lot so she knew people. Like that black miko, well… Anyway, if you really wanted answers, why don't you ask Myoga. Wouldn't he know more information about Yashira?"

"Ah, that's a good idea," Inuyasha was nodding, his expression turning thoughtful as he remembered how much that old and _faithful_ coward should know. Although, with all the damage happening to the village lately, he wasn't sure when Myoga would be back. "But it figures. The one time, I need to talk to that flea, he's not here." Inuyasha dropped his arms to the side and simply shook his head again as his golden eyes drifted up to the sky, taking in the muted glitter above as if he was silently requesting a remote answer from the heavens themselves.

Thankfully, throwing Inuyasha off her case about Kikyou, Kagome reached out and pulled at his sleeve as if to further distract him. "Well, he'll have to show up eventually. We might as well head back and check up on Miroku again. He might be feeling up Sango's butt, but he still has this haggard look to him." 

"Yeah, I still have to beat the shit out of him for being so stupid in taking so many hell wasps." Nodding, Inuyasha's head bobbing at least once, he allowed Kagome to pull him in the direction of the hut. 

***

There was so much she needed to think over and make sense on, but with Yajuumaru's unspoken presence beside her, Yashira found it nearly impossible. What was she going to do with him? Even when Kikyou had been alive she had spent little time or no time in her friend's presence, preferring to disappear for long patches of self- induced solitude. Now, she couldn't even do that much for whichever way she went this tree-youkai would follow nonetheless. Correction. Half-tree youkai, he was also part wolf and… human. The last did little to reassure her nerves though. He was over ¾ youkai, which meant he was tainted in more ways than she was.

~But I am still a hanyou~ The words, mere slivers of thoughts pressing down on her conscious mind, were met with angry reprimands. While she wore her talisman she was human, end of story. It was all Inuyasha's fault for saying she wasn't accepting herself. Yes, she would blame her brother. _Brother. _The notion that she now had family was even harder to accept. For more than 50 years, she had wandered without that comforting seat to fall back on. It had always just been her and now… Now she had a brother and this – glancing over to Yajuumaru as he kept pace beside her – so called suitor. 

In spite of the fact that her blue eyes traveled angrily over him at first, they seemed to calm as she stared at him. His long black hair was braided down his back and the slender, pointy ears - elf ears - were now round and humanish. His robe or yukata was like burnish gold with streaks of burgundy highlights while his tail –from his other form - was no longer visible. Yashira saw no talisman on his body, aside from the tooth he wore around his neck - a momento of his father's - to account to why he had such a control over his form. She could only guess it had something to do with his tree nature. Belatedly, she realized he wasn't too bad looking as a human. Yajuumaru glanced over at her, saw her thoughtful expression as she admired him, and a delightful smile grew across his lips. Although, it only served to confuse him even more when she frowned and jerked her face away. 

Damn youkai. Yashira was still furious that he was so – so – stupid! He should have stayed home in that forest of his. What could someone like him know about this world? BAH! Follow her?! He just made the worse mistake of his life. Well, he'd figure it out soon enough. Then, when he did, he'd go his own way. He'll… 

The thought, for some silly reason, forced her to look at him as if to reassure herself that he was still with her. What was wrong with her? She'd be happy with him gone. At least things would go back to normal. What could she do with him anyway? She was a miko and he was demon, and that was it! But her gaze went back to him, her eyes drifting over the well formed clothing he had conjured up to cover his muscular frame as if to soak up the memory that he had been there. It was with that look that Yashira found her usual brisk and cold demeanor nearly shattered. She'd built a wall, a very high and deliberate one, to keep people like him out, but somehow he'd managed to pull at a loose brick of her defence and now it was threatening to crumble down. 

Pulling her head up and forcing herself to keep her gaze in front of her, Yashira's senses simply just reeled. ~NO! He's not important to me, I don't really know him~ But he followed her out of the forest, he came after her, saved her life from a half-brother who wished to kill her, didn't that mean something?! ~NO~ Why was he so damn stupid and stubborn? Yashira wasn't worth the time he took to protect and defend. She wasn't worth having as a companion, so why did he insist on being with her? It just irked her as much as it amazed Yashira that he still followed, meekly as a tamed kitten.

Fool. Yet she wasn't sure if she meant him or her. She had, afterall, allowed him to come - allowed him to follow. ~Did I feel… sorry for him?~ Even when she had washed and cleaned his wound Sesshoumaru had given him earlier, she had found herself drawn to his happy whistle as he let her tend to him. Something had to be wrong with her because she felt her internal balance thrown helter-skelter by him. Yashira had never been adored before. It didn't feel right. 

"Will you stop smiling, you look like an idiot." Immediately, Yajuumaru's face reverted to that injured puppy dog look he'd given earlier, which made her regret saying it, but which in turn, only made her that more angrier. "Great, that's even worse." Grumbling angrily to herself, her fists tightened at her sides as she padded along the grasses as if she would scream bloody murder to the sky.

"What do you want me to do?" He sounded so forlorn that it made her feel as if she had just kicked a helpless kitten. "I'll do anything to make you happy."

Anything? What sort of naïve idiot had she been cursed with? You don't just say anything to anyone, she wanted to scream at him. Saying that gets you taken advantage of, do you want to be taken advantage of? But Yashira already knew that answer. As long as it was her, he didn't care. With a frustrated sigh, she stopped, turned and released her fists. "Look, if you hadn't noticed, I am _happy_. H A P P Y! HAPPY! Okay! I don't need some wannabe, macho man – youkai, in your case- thinking he could do stuff for me, because he can't!" Why couldn't this buffed up baffoon not realize that? 

"If you were so happy," he began effortlessly as if he were stating something so simple she had over looked it, "Why are you so angry all the time?"

"ARGH!" She tossed her head, black hair swirling around her shoulders, as if she wanted to stamp her feet like a spoiled child not given her way. "Maybe if you would just shut up and stop asking all sorts of stupid questions-"

"I only ask so that I can-"

"If you say, you can better serve me, I'll Heaven Ascension Blast you right now." Blue light flickered to life in her hands, casting her body and face in an odd glow of a witch light. She looked at him as if she were holding up Kagome's flashlight to her face. 

"Violence wouldn't be the answer." He shrugged his shoulders as if he thought her fancy light show was a trick to amuse children, but he knew from experience how painful it would feel to be hit with it. She had, without remorse, blasted several trees when she believed he was in them. 

"DAMN IT! You're driving me crazy."

"Look I'm only saying what I think, Yashira." There, he had said her name, and the fact that he had done it shown in his face like a blazing beacon to all. It seemed to make him feel familiar to her, to gain some closer level, by being able to say her name. "Yashira, I-"

"Don't you dare use my name." Leaves! She was grasping at leaves! If she let him use her name, who knew what else she would eventually let him do. "Don't you-" Midway between cursing him and screaming, Yashira suddenly stopped and turned silently to the side as if something or someone had called her. ~Impossible, no, he wouldn't dare….~ But there it was, that speckle of corruption, that sensation that she and Yajuumaru were not alone and that- Abruptly Yashira turned about, her gaze troubled and filled with apprehension as she stated flatly, "Leave me."

And almost as instantly as it was said, Yajuumaru's words were a flat denial. "No. Something is wrong, what is it?"

Couldn't he feel it? No, and that sent a flood of relief through her guts. He wasn't a houshi, there was no way for him to sense another youkai. But he could smell? But no, they were upwind of their new company. Yajuumaru would not know. "You don't know what's good for you."

"I know who is good for me." His green eyes narrowed on her, his lips quivering, as he crossed his arms together – much the same way as he watched her do when she was upset with him. "I will not leave you."

He didn't understand; how could he? Yajuumaru didn't have her senses and couldn't know that Naraku was here. Nor could he know just what Naraku was – what he was capable of. "Yajuumaru," she tried something else, perhaps appealing to his naïve loyalty might work because she could see that he was already responding warmly by the use of his name on her lips. This might work. "You misunderstand me. I think it's late and I'm tired. I only wish for you to find my-" And here she struggled, for she could not yet bring the word 'brother' to bear, "… if you could ask if Inuyasha will let us stay with Kaede?"

"Is that what you wish?" He was too innocent to think of falsehood in the one he adored nor had he been initiated to treachery, but soon he would know. It would be one mistake, but it would be impossible to rectify and correct later. She would make sure of it.

"Yes, it is. I will wait for you here." Searching out a clean spot of grass, she made to sit down. 

He drew close and reached out to her as his hot-blooded hands enveloped her icy-cold ones. "This I will do for you, beloved." Fondly slipping a hand free, Yajuumaru raised it to her face as if he meant it as a loaded threat to cup her pale cheek with it. Instead, he simply grazed her cheek with his splayed fingers tips, as if it had been his intention all along to only tuck in a loose strand of her black hair behind her ear, before pulling away from Yashira. "I will not be long."

There had been something in his touch that sent an uneasy spasm retching through her nerves. For a moment Yashira had been sure he could see the falsehood, the lie to send him away as clear in her eyes as if it had been day, but then he pulled away without so much as a complaint. He was too innocent. It was both a curse and a blessing and his mistake. Waiting until he had gone, she turned her head towards the shadow which detached itself from the woodland to her right and beckoned her new company out. 

"You aren't, by chance, developing feelings for that tree youkai, are you Yashira?" The oily, thick voice which spoke confirmed her suspicions. It was indeed Naraku.

Glancing sharply at him, her blue eyes narrowing to icy slits at his words, she tossed her head and spat angrily, "Are you mad? He INSISTS on following me everywhere. I don't really have much of a choice with him." Hopefully, her words and her tone would stick. She didn't want to give Naraku any more leverage over her by making Yajuumaru her weakness. A small voice inside her mind screamed that it was not so, that no demon would ever get close to her, but she found her heart trembling within her aching bosom. She could not deny that she was afraid for Yajuumaru.

Naraku drew close to her as his dark gaze and flowing hair, freed momentarily of the baboon skin, glistened ominously in the shine from the starlight above. "Good, but you realize, you're drifting away from Inuyasha and his friends. How can you get within their good graces, and then steal their shards if you're going the wrong way?" His voice was oily, like lubricated grease, and it oozed fake congeniality from every pore. It seemed as if he was asking something, perhaps on another level, at the same time.

"I have someone I must talk to first. It will not take long." She remained seated, allowing him to draw in, so that he stood towering above her like a menacing specter. With the amount of games he had played against her, even while she was supposedly allied with him, to bolt or run would reveal her treachery to Naraku and leave her open. With Yajuumaru tagging along after her, he would be at risk and she could not afford to place him in that sort of danger. Grimacing internally, she wished for the thousandth time that he'd stayed home. "You know Naraku," and the words just poured out as if someone had turned on a switch and forgotten to shut it, "If you're not careful, I could just seal you. Your methods were counter productive to me the last few days. If you hadn't tried to kill me at the same time with Inuyasha, I may have had your shards." She wanted to accuse him of blabbing out secrets as well, but that was another can of words she couldn't open yet. "Where is Necoa, by the way?"

"Oh, don't worry about that one. She won't be bothering you or the others any time soon." The way Naraku said it, left a foul reek in the air. It was as if he had lifted up his tail and sprayed the area.

"What does that mean?" But did she really want to know? This was Naraku she reminded herself. Naraku liked to screw with people's minds. He was beyond dangerous; he was mentally unbalanced. It was something she was coming to understand only too late.

"Why are you so worried? She was one of my scions, and now she's no more. Easy come, easy go. About my shards…" Leaning forward, his fingers reaching up for her pale cheeks, and though Yashira forced her gaze to remain calm, her insides were reeling with the disgust at his defiling touch. 

"You'll get them," she whispered quietly. Cursing her voice at the same time for sounding so frail, Yashira kept her blue pupils fastened on Naraku's as if to show she wasn't afraid of him. While she had no love for that cat youkai, the way Necoa must have suffered to be pulled into Naraku, grated on Yashira's nerves. Even though her duration at Naraku's hideaway had been brief, she'd seen him absorb at lease one youkai, so she knew how cruel and barbaric it was. No one, not even an enemy, should have had to be put through that. It made Yashira wonder how she had ever become trapped in Naraku's foul game. ~I need the shards from Kagome, and then I'll be free. Or will I?~ She was beginning to suspect that those that worked with Naraku were never free. "I just have to-"

"See Mikada," he finished for Yashira, his lips smug as he stared unrelentingly back at her, "Oh, I know about her, but it can wait." 

He said it so effortlessly, that she hadn't realized just what he had said at first. Then it dawned on her and in a voice so clouded with shock, she simply blurted out, "What did you say?" No one knew about her, no one! Even now, as she visibly lost part of her cold demeanor, it was evident that he had found a hole in her defence in which to attack through.

"Oh, let me say it again then. I think Mikada can wait. Oh, don't be so surprised that I know so much about you, Yashira. You were a side hobby of mine." He dropped down to sit himself with her, and seemed amused that she flinched and visibly scowled at him. "Don't be like that Yashira. Did I not save your life that time? Don't you owe me this favour?"

But he had raised the scepter of suspicion in her now. He KNEW of Mikada? If he had known about that ancient miko, what else did he know about? "You set me up," her words were soft, quiet, but they were laden with deep-rooted accusation. Those men who had chased after her that night she had met Naraku had been during that time of the month for her. A night she could not change to youkai even if she so wished. "Just how much do you know about me?"

"You think too much Yashira," There was an amused chuckling lilt to his voice, but the eyes had darkened significantly into a semblance of an irritated frown. It seemed that the unspoken test he had wanted to spring on her had been met with displeasure for the sharp nails of his fingers now dug into her cheeks as if he meant to tear her lips away. "Maybe it was a mistake to let you know what I know, but I do not like failures and you girl, were planning on running away with that new youkai of yours. Just like Kikyou was going to betray me with Inuyasha. Brother and sister, the two of you are thorns I'm better off without." Vines shot out from beneath his baboon skin and with a violent fury they latched onto her wrists with undeniable speed. Rudely shoved to the ground, Yashira felt the blood die in her veins as his grip cut her too deep. "While I do not like the fact that you have human blood in you, you are still youkai… enough for me to absorb. I can always pick and choose what I want to keep later."

"What are you doing?!" Stunned that she was reduced to a useless trundled up mass on the grassy ground with nothing by the stars over head as her witnesses, she screamed and lashed out at Naraku like a madwoman. Blue light flared out of her hands like miniature fireworks, but with no direction, all it offered was a blue glow to light up the brutish face of Naraku's venomous sneer. If she couldn't aim, her power was useless. "Get off me!

But he did not speak as he lowered his face and his jumbled mass of limbs upon her wildly thrashing body. He only smirked back as a reply.

  



	15. Chapter 14

September 30 and November 14, 23, 2003

(Author's Note: This will be the last chapter for this story, however it doesn't mean the end of Yajuumaru and Yashira because there will be other fics for them. This story was just a way to introduce two characters into the Inuyasha realm. Thank you Aile Anna, for your patience and sleepless nights that my stories give you. (Once more Yajuumaru™ © belongs to Leloi and Yashira™© belongs to me.))

Sister, Sister

By Yashira

Chapter 14

Running her fingers through Kirara's velvety fur with a soft smile of relief on her cheeks, Sango's brown eyes never strayed far from Miroku's face. True, he was feeling much better and all, but the Taijiya was taking no chances. She kept visual guard on him at all possible moments making sure he drank the last of the healing concoction they'd made for him. Seated beside her was Kagome who cradled the sleeping kitsune in her green skirted, school girl lap. While she was worried about Miroku, Sango couldn't help but wonder about her young companion as well. After Kagome had returned from her walk to pick up Inuyasha, she seemed to want to put a little distance between herself and Inuyasha. Had the two of them been in another fight again? 

Wouldn't that hanyou learn to stop hurting Kagome's feelings? At least that's what Sango assumed as she spared a glance at her companion. While Kagome was young and let a lot of things go, she didn't deserve to be played as second string. "You okay, Kagome-chan?"

"I'm fine," she whispered back though the lie she coated with a smile was betrayed by the sadness visible in her brown eyes. "It's okay."

"Kagome-chan?" There was obvious worry in Sango's voice. She didn't trust that look anymore than she could toss a true-blooded hanyou across the room.

Kagome glanced over at Sango, her eyes smiling a deceptive mask now so that the taijiya could not tell which was truth and which wasn't. "I'm just worried for Inuyasha and Yashira. They were attacked by Sesshoumaru." There seemed to be more wanting to be said, but something made Kagome stay quiet. 

"Is he, _is_ she, okay?" Looking to where Inuyasha stood watch from the doorway, his golden eyes aloof as he gazed out, Sango had to conclude that everything had to be fine though Inuyasha looked a tad concerned. Maybe, that was it, then? Maybe Kagome really was worried about Inuyasha and Yashira. 

"He's not_ triple _timing is he?" The words were low enough for Kagome, but Sango noticed Inuyasha's ears had splayed back. Oh dear, had he overheard her?

"It's nothing like that," Kagome quickly reassured her as Shippo stirred and opened his eyes, still groggy with sleep. "He's not interested in her like that. They're family, it's a long story."

"They're family?"

But Sango's question was loudly interrupted by Miroku who was clamoring instantly to his feet. Dancing a little jig to show that he was well, he smiled at all present. "I'm good as new and with some spare Averos leaves, I can take in the Saimyousho without a problem. So, there's no way you'll be rid of me so soon. Plus," he added, giving the girls a surreptitious wink, "who would be there to give Inuyasha advice when he two times Kagome-sama."

Temporarily having to wait for a confirming answering from Kagome, Sango shot Miroku a fierce stare. 

She wanted to smack the tactless jerk, but Inuyasha was already on his feet wanting to do the same. Already, his gaze was beyond furious. 

"Oi, who is two timing who? What about you and Sango and the number of girls you feel off?" If he could snort fire, Kaede's hut would have been in cinders by now.

"What about me and Sango-sama? I'm sure she doesn't mind me admiring a few-" He made the mistake of glancing at the flaming fireball which once was Sango's head. The dark withering look made him gulp several times before he quickly amended what he had been saying. "Oh yes, about Sango-sama. I'm sure she's the most understanding girl in the whole world. How I would have missed her sweet caresses."

"You mean when you caress me, don't you," Sango sounded annoyed, but the flames around her head had rescinded to a dull glow. She was still worried enough about him than to go totally ballistic on the recovering monk.

"Well, you know what I meant right?" Miroku's violet gaze tried to look angelic, but to Sango he just seemed more ecchi that way. There just was no such thing as an innocent look from Miroku.

Crossing her arms, rolling her brown eyes with narrowed suspicion, she said, "No, I don't, why don't you tell me. Tell us all, while we're at it."

Inuyasha, taking this moment to add his two cents, immediately took this opportunity to corner the monk. He was actually grinning as he said, "Yeah, why don't you explain it for us? I'm dying to know the answer." 

"Oh, come on, that's cruel. I'm a recently brought back to life man, you could feel sorry for me." Miroku, who had been in the middle of teasing Sango, glanced over at the hanyou with a rather pathetic look on his face. Unfortunately for him, it was a look he had used one too many times. It didn't fool anyone. 

"Oh, so now you're just brought back to life, eh?" Sango was taking no prisoners. "What happened to being a new man? You should be ashamed of yourself Houshi-sama."

Miroku scratched at his head with an embarrassed smile. At least he had the decency to look contrite. "Well, I- Huh? Inuyasha is something wrong?"

"Don't try to distract the question, Houshi-sama." But the monk was shaking his head and pointing towards Inuyasha whose ears had perked and was sniffing towards the door with an anxious expression on his face. "Eh? Is there something wrong?" Perhaps mistaking it for the return of Necoa or one of Naraku's minions, Sango set Kirara down and struggled to her feet. She was already reaching for her Hirakotsu.

"I smell Naraku."

***

Helpless.

That was exactly what Yashira felt as Naraku coiled his slimy, overbearing body over and around hers. Disgusting! Horrible! She never expected to feel this repulsive and sickly feeling wash over her, suffocating her, as he pulled her palpitating body into his own, but here it was. Drowning her, pulling her under as if she were struggling beneath an ocean's surface and _-gods did it hurt_! Everything felt on fire; it all burned! It was like being eaten from the outside as his dirty miasma worked it's polluting way in through the pores. 

If only she could move her hands, but no. He'd made sure to keep her pinned down so that there was no way she could jerk her talisman off and change to her hanyou form. How painful. Already she could feel Naraku's vines begin to dig into her skin, tearing -_feasting-_ upon her flesh as he successfully cocooned her in his massive body. In a matter of tortured seconds, she would be no more.

So this was it, huh? Body parts to be picked through at whim for this diseased-ridden mind of a hanyou?_ I never thought my life would end like this. I should _have known though. I was taunted with something I have always searched for and now that I have it… Tears spilled down her cheeks, helplessly drawn towards Naraku's filthy flesh, as she lay there under his final assault_. At least, he'll live, that's what's important at least…_ The _he_ she thought of was obviously not Naraku.

"And I have a whole new plan now that you're a part of me," Naraku's voice rumbled around her, or was it his thoughts? Had she already become a part of him? "With your body, I will get close to Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. Obviously, I'll discard your human heart, I have no need to be bogged down with another worthless human heart. With your body I'll-"

Hadn't he taunted her enough as it was? Why was he doing this? Why did he have to be so vicious?

"-be able to say hello to all the people who thought you were their saviour when you purged them from "killer" youkai. I'll enjoy it," he was laughing, his voice echoing with that rich Kukuku, as if he found her pain a particular aphrodisiac. "And if I can acquire your miko powers, there's no telling what I can do. Perhaps the arrows from people like Kagome and Kikyou will no longer have any affect. Wouldn't that be a useful thing to have-"

"No!" A scream tore from her lips, but she could not spit out the bubbling flesh that pour down upon her, making her sputtering and cough beneath him. Nothing, she could do nothing to stop them. _Yajuumaru…_ Her vision dimmed, her end coming quickly, she wished she had at least been kind to him once. To have said a-

__

Yashira! 

Her eyes were shut, though they burned by his horrible miasma, but had her ears mistaken her? Had she heard her name? No, she had to be mistaken. What could she hear within this disgusting pulse of miasma around her.

__

Yashira!

It came again, more intense. Panic. Could it be her father and mother calling? No, that would be impossible. Absorbed youkai-tachi did not die, they were _spared_ that mercy. 

Yashira, do you free me?

Sputtering, feeling more pain lace through her body, Yashira thought she muttered an answer to something she barely heard. Was she saying yes to dying?

"YASHIRA!!" Air whooshed across her face as Naraku, one minute a horrible blob of repulsive vines, was sliced into two razor sharp pieces. With a shocked look on Naraku's face he leapt away to safety as Yashira coughed and spat out a green mess of guck as if it were blood. Two strong hands reach out to tear her free from the remainder of Naraku's body and to spin away to safety opposite the recovering monster.

Though most of her clothing was burned off, revealing a luxurious amount of bosom and shapely leg littered with vicious cuts and burns, she was free of that insidious jaki. To simply be able to breath the unpolluted forest air and feel its soft, welcoming touch along her hair and face was a wonderful overwhelming feeling. 

"Yajuumaru?" She opened her eyes, blue confused orbs fixing on his bright green ones, as he stared right back at her. He was completely in his youkai form again. Long black hair, loose this time and coiled down his back like unbound silk, barely hid the long slender elf-like ears, or the tail that wagged back and forth behind him. Though he wore the clothes she had asked him to, golden yukata robes with burgundy highlights, Yajuumaru was as unsealed as she was sealed. Had the voice she'd been hearing been his? Had he asked her to free him?

"You're safe," he spoke with a low grating voice as he gripped her protectively. His eyes alighting on her with affection would turn to scowl with hatred when he glanced at Naraku. "I'll never let him harm you."

Naraku, as he had scampered to one side, fixed Yajuumaru with a nasty glare that told both Miko and youkai that he found this little interruption distasteful to his plans. While his lower half of bulbous vines and youkai flesh crept towards him to be re-absorbed, his pale face and shadowed eyes were haggard. He had not expected Yajuumaru's return, but was trying to compensate for it. It was a delay in his planning that he had not prepared for. "I'm not finished with you. Be a good youkai and give me the girl. If you really want to be with her, let me absorb you too."

A vicious growl left Yajuumaru's bared lips revealing sharp fangs, clearly visible in the starlight that winked down. "If you come another step towards me and MY MATE, I'll tear you to pieces. I'm part tree-youkai, don't think I won't use the trees." As if in answer to his threats, the branches of nearby trees trembled and shook. Seemingly dead wood groaned to life as if the blood of living, breathing flesh screamed in their very roots - yearning to break the soil and move on command.

Was that how he had hidden from both her and Naraku? Yashira remembered that one of the many tricks Yajuumaru was capable of had to do with disappearing into the wood as if it were an extension of himself. "Yajuumaru, he wants me, don't throw yourself into this. He'll hurt you! Run away, please." Though she rasped the words, finding it difficult to speak with that horrible taste still in her mouth, Yashira had to make him believe her. If he stuck around, he would die.

"If I ran away for each lie you said, you would be a dead miko." There was a sort of fondness as he said the words that belied the severity of the accusation. 

"Yajuumaru, I-" But her words were lost, severed by the feel of his mouth as they laid claim over her own. With wide open blue eyes and cheeks flushing red, Yashira limply raised a hand in mute protest, but he would not be stayed. It was as if he meant to clean her lips, her tongue - her entire mouth- of Naraku's pollution. 

__

Shut up. And now she knew for certain, though she knew not how, that the mind speaking had come from him. _Anyone who tries to harm you, has already harmed me. If you die, so will I._

"Oh? Do you think you can just fool around in front of me as if I don't exist?" Though there was that aloof quality of disregard in Naraku's voice, something in his body gesture echoed in the way that mass moved, suggested his attention was now divided. "No hybrid youkai can stop me… or hanyou." Jumping away as the Kaze no Kizu charged through the air towards him, Naraku let his cold laugher ring through the air like a curse.

"Damn you, Naraku!!" Inuyasha appeared like an avenging red blur of light. He leapt through the woods and came to stand short of Yajuumaru who was pulling his mouth free from Yashira. "What the fuck did you do to my sister?"

Naraku smiled as usual, but kept himself far enough from Inuyasha to avoid a second Kaze no Kizu. Thundering through the woods, soon to join Inuyasha would be the others, Yashira could hear the forest groan with their passing. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"He tried to absorb her," Yajuumaru growled, his green eyes dark like pine needles. "If I hadn't stopped him, he would have devoured her."

"He… did… what?" Golden eyes had grown furious and his teeth clamped so tightly over each other that they groaned with the grinding. 

Naraku's body was reforming, losing most of the bulk that would slow him down, returning him to the form most of the others knew -- his white baboon pelted human form. "There's always a next time."

"THE HELL THERE IS!!! Yajuumaru, take my sister somewhere safe, I have a spider to kill!" With a furious battle cry, Inuyasha lifted forth Tetsusaiga and launched himself at Naraku.

Yashira's blue eyes fell on her brother's gold ones with a disbelieving look. He was furious at what Naraku had tried to do to her? Wanting to reach out towards him, she lifted a hand but could only whisper -- before Yajuumaru cradled her close and dashed away -- was, "Brother."


	16. Epilogue

November 23, 2003

(Author's Note: I had a prologue, so I'll have an epilogue. *Winks* It's short, but hopefully, it'll tie in with my future fic "Fire and Ice" which I have yet to edit, but which has a first part written to it. Thanks to you all who read this story, with special thanks to Aile Anna for proofing the last couple of fics and to Lel for lending me Yajuumaru. He's such a sweetie, it's no wonder Yash falls for him.)

By Yashira

Sister, Sister

Epilogue

Several days later...

Seated together around a burning fire, its flames keeping Inuyasha and the others warm, Kagome ventured a questioning glance at the hanyou. "Do you think it's okay, leaving it like this?" Her voice was soft, tentative, as if she feared to upset him.

With a nonchalant shrug, Inuyasha picked up a stick and stirred it through the red coals. His golden eyes were dimmed, focused on the flames. "It can't be helped. We came here with Yashira to visit that miko Mikada, the one who tended to my mother when Yashira was born, but she's gone. The temple or monastery, or whatever it was is a mess. Stuff is thrown everywhere, but I know I don't smell any other presence aside from the old scent of my brother-"

"You don't think that-"

Already shaking his head, he lifted his gaze and fixed it upon Sango, Miroku and Kagome with that thoughtful look that allayed their fears. "No, this Mikada ran away. I'm guessing she figured that since her secret was known, that Yashira would come back this way to ask questions. The one who made the mess was her."

"But that means you and Yashira won't have an answer as to why this Mikada took her away." Sango, who had been tending the fish they caught earlier and which she'd set to flame, handed one of the readied ones to Shippo's outstretched hands. 

"I know."

"Too bad Myoga wasn't here, eh Inuyasha. Here, Sango, pass me one.." Taking the offered fish, and biting carefully, Miroku was still forced to hold it and to fan his burnt lips. The fish was still too hot to eat.

"Doesn't matter. I already know she is my sister, she turns hanyou when she removes her own warding. What I want, what she wants, are answers to WHY Mikada did this. All this time when I could have had someone to talk to… to understand, and I didn't." He shoved the burning stick deep into the fire and let out a deep breath. "Doesn't look like we'll get them, anytime soon."

"Nee, Inuyasha, do you think we should go and fetch Yajuumaru and Yashira? It must be cold out there." Kagome had glanced towards the woods where Yajuumaru had, with his hand wrapped securely around Yashira's, disappeared to.

Miroku's eyes widened, the violet colour visible in the firelight. "Surely, you wouldn't disturb the two of them."

Inuyasha's gaze flickered absently on the monk with a "go figure you're thinking hentai" thoughts look. "They're not doing anything, Miroku, but she needs him right now." 

"But you're her brother - you're blood."

"Yes, I am. But sometimes," And he looked at Kagome as he said this, which brought an embarrassed blush to her cheeks. "You need someone who loves you so completely, at your side, who isn't family."

*** 

"That time…" Yashira began, her voice sounding incredulous, "you were watching me from the woods, weren't you?" 

She laid protectively cradled in his arms, her back to his front, as if his embrace proved he was afraid to let her go. Together in the bough of a low lying tree, Yajuumaru supported the both of them as he nodded in answer to his beloved. "Yashira." There was a rumbling chuckle, as he regarded her. "I may be simple sometimes, but I'm not stupid." One of his arms rested lightly on her belly, giving her support, while his free hand reached up and touched at her cheek. Moments like this were still rare between them, but he encouraged them each time they happened. Perhaps one day, she would freely show her affection as he showed his.

"I guessed as much, but it still surprised me." Yashira leaned her head back, black hair cushioning against his shoulder, as she sought to look at him. "So you heard it all?"

"Yes, and you made the right choice. He tricked you, but you got yourself out of it…" He sniffled at her, his nose pressed into her hair as if he was making sure, even now, that the last of that awful mess from Naraku had been removed from her. He'd spent a good deal of time cleaning her off, running his tongue over each wound, but he couldn't be too careful. As a tree-youkai, Yajuumaru had told her, he was capable of many things that most youkai were not. Absorbing poison, like Sesshoumaru's poison claw and Naraku's miasma, was nothing to him. Though she expected him of exaggerating a bit, his words did speak with an inkling of truth. He healed faster than she did so he could afford to pollute himself if he wished.

"What about you?"

"What about me?" Her question confused him so he threw it back at her.

Yashira rubbed her cheek against his hand, her blue eyes slowly opening to fix him with that piercing look of hers. In the last couple of days, she'd nearly lost most of the ferocious bite it had taken a lifetime to build. Now, she was more approachable, easier to speak to. There had been something about Yajuumaru that tore her well-wrought defensives into nothingness that made her as she was. "This form you wear now, are you happy with it?"

He seemed troubled, as if he realized the fact that he was wearing a form she had once "despised." "I was always happy with it. It was you that disliked it." His fingers rested on her chin and he fixed her with a firm look, "I can not protect you unless I am in this form. I will wear the clothes you ask me to, but I can not nor will not hide this form again. I will not and I can not, beloved. Mate. "

"I suppose, you're still going to follow me?" She sounded as if she had crossed a personal bridge and finding it acceptable, had decided to keep forging on.

"I will."

"Then I guess it can't be helped." Turning in his arms, startling him with the motion, she faced him square on. "You know what this means, right?"

He swallowed, staring at her as if he thought she meant to do her Heaven Blast attack, "What?"

A smile touched her lips as she drew close to the startled tree-lord. Instead of answering with words, Yashira placed a kiss upon his lips.

***

Sister, Sister Ends here. 

Author's Note: Further adventures will be contained in the fic Fire and Ice, whose first chapter will be edited soon.


End file.
